Europe: IEC 60364 and national codes (BS 7671, DIN VDE 0100, NF C 15-100)

European electrical installation rules: IEC 60364 / HD 60364, national codes of the UK (BS 7671), Germany (DIN VDE 0100), France (NF C 15-100). RCD, earthing and socket requirements in the EU.

Key facts

Document	IEC 60364 / HD 60364 (EU national codes)
Voltage	230/400 V
Frequency	50 Hz
Sockets	Type C/F, E/F, G (UK)
Earthing	TN-S, TN-C-S, TT, IT

Terminology in the native language

Native term	Transliteration	English translation
Schutzkontakt (DE)	Schutzkontakt	earthing contact of a socket (Ger.)
mise à la terre (FR)	mise à la terre	earthing (Fr.)
toma de tierra (ES)	toma de tierra	earthing (Sp.)
przewód ochronny (PL)	przewód ochronny	protective conductor (Pol.)
messa a terra (IT)	messa a terra	earthing (It.)
aardlekschakelaar (NL)	aardlekschakelaar	RCD (Dutch)
Schutzleiter (DE)	Schutzleiter	PE protective conductor (Ger.)
tablero eléctrico (ES)	tablero eléctrico	distribution board (Sp.)
disjoncteur (FR)	disjoncteur	circuit breaker (Fr.)
wyłącznik różnicowoprądowy (PL)	wyłącznik różnicowoprądowy	RCD (Pol.)

What are IEC 60364 and HD 60364

IEC 60364 — the IEC international standard "Low-voltage electrical installations", the basis of European rules. In the EU it is adopted as the harmonized document HD 60364 (CENELEC harmonization document): every country must accept it as a national standard, ensuring consistent requirements across the EU.

EU national codes

Country	Document	Voltage
United Kingdom	BS 7671 (IET Wiring Regulations)	230/400 V, 50 Hz
Germany	DIN VDE 0100	230/400 V, 50 Hz
France	NF C 15-100	230/400 V, 50 Hz
Poland	PN-HD 60364	230/400 V, 50 Hz
Italy	CEI 64-8	230/400 V, 50 Hz
Spain	REBT (RD 842/2002)	230/400 V, 50 Hz
Netherlands	NEN 1010	230/400 V, 50 Hz

Key requirements

• 30 mA RCD mandatory for all residential socket circuits (IEC 60364-4-41, section 415.1);
• Earthing — TN-S, TN-C-S, TT, IT; TN-S or TN-C-S for new buildings;
• Voltage drop — max 3–4% for lighting, 5–8% for other circuits;
• Verification — mandatory initial verification and periodic inspection;
• Conductor sizes — per IEC 60228: 1.5, 2.5, 4, 6, 10 mm² (copper).

Sockets in Europe

Type F (Schuko) — Germany, Poland, Netherlands, Russia and more; type E/F — France, Belgium; type G — UK, Ireland; type J — Switzerland; type L — Italy. CIS countries (former PUE sphere) use the same type F, simplifying compatibility.

Differences from PUE

IEC 60364 and PUE are conceptually close (PUE-7 is harmonized with IEC). Differences: IEC regulates installation verification and voltage drop more strictly, unifies RCD requirements across the EU; PUE has more operational detail. For international projects, IEC 60364-based documentation is recognized in most countries.

Countries following these rules

All 27 EU states + UK, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, EEA countries, plus many Asian, African and Oceanian countries that adopted IEC 60364 nationally (including several CIS countries via GOST R 50571 / DSTU).

Related references

Clause-by-clause review

Translation of key sections and clauses with numbers:

Data is for reference. Final design decisions must follow current regulations and a qualified engineer.
Reference · World electrical installation rules