Charging the iPad Mini when planning a trip to Portugal

A page showing how to charge your iPad Mini with a Portuguese power outlet using a Lightning connector with a two pinned Europlug Type C USB charger and charging the iPad Mini using a Type F Schuko power charger.

Portuguese power outlet

Varying complicated region codes and voltages can all lead to confusion when planning to travel to a new country, especially if you've never been there before. When you are planning a holiday to Portugal this page contains useful instructions showing powering the iPad Mini by using the Type F or C 230 volt 50Hz wall outlets, Type F plug outlets are normally used by a majority of Portuguese. You'll discover that power supplies differ depending on which area you are in therefore please read the travel power supplies page for a complete list of regions and countries. When travelling to Portugal from a different country please check the iPad Mini can be used with a 240 volt supply. If your iPad Mini was purchased from a country which uses a lower voltage (for example 110 volts) check that the iPad Mini is dual-voltage (marked with 100-240 volts) else you may need to use an additional voltage converter to stop the device from being damaged when charging it. If you plan to stay in a destination such as Lisbon we also suggest reading the Wikipedia.org web page about Portugal [1] for more details. These instructions assume that you have installed Apple iOS 7 or greater on the iPad Mini.

Charging the iPad Mini in Portugal

Can you use the iPad Mini in Portugal?

You can use the iPad Mini in Portugal by using a power adaptor.

What is the best power adapter for the iPad Mini in Portugal?

When travelling to multiple countries and bringing along more than your iPad Mini then the best travel charger for Portugal to buy is a multiple USB charger which includes compatible plugs like a 4 port USB travel charger. There are two different types of power outlets that Portuguese use (F and C) and bringing this ensures that you are covered for type C.

Because these types of chargers are supplied with interchangeable plugs and handle 100 volts - 240 volts it makes them ideal for over 100 countries in Asia, North America, Europe and Africa simply by changing the heads. If your iPad Mini can support Fast Charge then you'll benefit from faster charging times by using one of these USB power adapters along with compatibility with certain power hungry devices.

Unlike other adapters this will allow you to power more than one device at once without needing to bring seperate travel chargers or occupying additional wall outlets. Only needing a single USB travel charger will help keep the overall weight down, making it ideal to fold up and store in hand baggage and on hand for recharging your iPad Mini at an airport or on the flight. Due to their space saving flexibility these types of power adapters can be used at home not just abroad so when you’re not on holiday they can be used under your bedside table charging multiple tablets and smartphones with just a single power outlet.

For those travelling to Portugal we suggest searching for this type of flexible travel charger at your preferred electronics retailer. The multipurpose power adapter illustrated is the 4 Port USB Wall Charger which has been tested successfully with multiple USB devices in numerous foreign countries.

Alternative travel adapter for Portugal

The 4 port USB travel charger is the most compact option for travellers from any country who only have USB devices such as the iPad Mini, however for visitors also wishing to use their domestic plugs these power adapters provide larger but more versatile solutions. All three power adapters offer surge protection which is necessary for travellers to counties with unstable power supplies. These power converters come with interchangeable type C, I and G plugs which cover Continental Europe, America, Australia, United Kingdom, Japan, China and over 150 countries around the world:

  • BESTEK Portable International Travel Voltage Converter - The BESTEK international travel adaptor has 4 USB charging ports with 3 AC power outlets and is the most popular portable power adapter for travellers originating from North America visiting Portugal.
  • ORICO Traveling Outlet Surge Protector Power Strip - Similarly having 4 USB ports but only 2 AC power outlets the Orico is also aimed at travellers from North America using type B plugs and is a cheaper alternative to the BESTEK with just one less AC outlet at almost half price.
  • BESTEK International USB Travel Power Strip - This power strip has 2 AC outlets but offers 5 USB charging ports. This versatile power strip is compatible with both American plugs and popular plug types A, D,E/F, G, H, I, L and N making it suitable for a majority of travellers from around the world visiting Portugal. [8] [AD]
What is the best power adapter for the iPad Mini in Portugal?

Charging the iPad Mini from a Portuguese power outlet by using a two pinned Europlug Type C USB adapter

Using a Lightning cable and a two pin Type C USB charger to charge your iPad Mini with a Portuguese power outlet.

  1. If you want to power your iPad Mini using the Portuguese power outlet you will need to use a Type C USB power plug adapter [4] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5] (usually supplied with your iPad Mini).
  2. Plug the Type C USB power plug adapter into the wall supply. This ungrounded plug supply, sometimes called the Type C power outlet [3] or Europlug, can be recognised by 2 circular adjacent holes where the plug outlet pins sit.
  3. Connect one end of the USB Lightning cable into the bottom of the USB charger and the other end into the Lightning connector on the iPad Mini. The iPad Mini lightning connector is found at the bottom of the iPad Mini.
  4. Turn on the Portuguese power outlet.
  5. The battery icon that you'll find in the top right hand corner of your iPad Mini screen will display a charging icon to indicate that the tablet is recharging, typically taking between 60 to 240 minutes to fully recharge to full capacity. [AD]
Charging the iPad Mini from a Portuguese power outlet by using a two pinned Europlug Type C USB adapter

How to use a Type F power charger for recharging your iPad Mini from a Portuguese power outlet

A page showing how to charge your iPad Mini with a Portuguese power outlet using a Lightning connector with a two pinned Schuko Type F USB charger.

  1. In order to supply power to the iPad Mini using the Portuguese power outlet you will need to buy a Type F USB power plug adapter [7] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5] (this USB cable is normally already included with the device by Apple).
  2. Begin by taking the Type F USB power plug adapter and plugging it in the wall supply. You can recognise this plug supply by the two large adjacent holes next to each other where the twin pins slide into along with two metal grounding clips above and below.
  3. Plug in one end of the USB charging cord into the USB power adapter and the other end into the Lightning connector on the iPad Mini. The iPad Mini lightning connector is situated at the base of the iPad Mini.
  4. Turn on the Portuguese power outlet.
  5. The battery icon that you'll find in the top right hand corner of your iPad Mini screen will display a charging icon to indicate that the iPad is charging which should take roughly 1 - 4 hours to recharge. [AD]
How to use a Type F power charger for recharging your iPad Mini from a Portuguese power outlet

See also

  1. Wikipedia - Wikipedia.org web page about Portugal
  2. Apple - official iPad user guide
  3. iec.ch - Type C power outlet
  4. Type C USB power plug adapter - Conforming to Europlug specifications, the Type C USB power plug adapter incorporates two 4 mm rounded pins spaced 19 mm apart. It is engineered to adapt electrical outlets commonly found in Europe, converting them to USB-compatible charging ports..
  5. USB to Apple Lightning cable - The Apple Lightning cable is a charging and syncing cable for more recent Apple devices and connects compatible iPhones and iPads to a USB port.
  6. iec.ch - Type F power outlet
  7. Type F USB power plug adapter - Compliant with Europlugs and CEE 7/17 specifications, the Type F or Schuko adapter is engineered to adapt German electrical power outlets into USB-compatible ports..
  8. 4 Port USB Wall Charger - A 4-port USB wall charger is an electrical device that provides simultaneous charging for up to four USB-compatible devices. It often includes interchangeable international plug adapters for global use..