Type F (Schuko)
Direct Answer
Type F, universally called "Schuko" (German for "protective contact"), is the dominant grounded plug across continental Europe. Unlike most grounded plugs, its earth connection is made via two flat spring clips on the plug's sides rather than a third pin.
Source: DIN 49440-1 / CEE 7/4
Specs
| Pins | 2 round pins + 2 side grounding clips (not a third pin) |
| Rated Current | 16 A |
| Rated Voltage | 250 V |
| Grounded | Yes |
| Common Regions | Germany, Austria, Spain, Netherlands, Scandinavia, much of Eastern Europe and Russia -- notably absent from Belgium, Czechia, Ireland, Switzerland, and the UK |
Not Universal, Even Within Europe
"Schuko" comes from the German Schutzkontakt, "protective contact," describing the plug's grounding method: two flat spring clips on its top and bottom faces engage matching contacts in the socket, making the ground connection before the two round power pins touch. It's a German design, standardized domestically in the late 1920s, though sources disagree on the precise inventor and patent year.
Despite being the most common grounded plug across continental Europe, Type F is not universal even within Europe -- Belgium, Czechia, Ireland, Switzerland, and the UK all use different grounded standards. A Schuko socket safely accepts the smaller ungrounded Type C Europlug directly, and the hybrid CEE 7/7 plug bridges Type F sockets with France and Belgium's incompatible Type E via a dual design carrying both a socket-pin recess and side clips.