Sweden runs bottled gas as a closed exchange system, and your German or Dutch bottle is not part of it. Here is how to keep the heater, fridge and stove running anyway, and the one pump you must never use.
When you need this
You are packing for a motorhome or caravan trip and wondering whether two bottles will last. Your bottle ran empty somewhere in Värmland and the fuel station will not take it. You have a refillable tank bottle and cannot find an LPG pump. Or you are in the ferry queue at Rostock and someone has just mentioned the gas valve. This page covers all four.
How Swedish gas works
Bottled gas in Sweden is gasol. The industry body Energigas Sverige defines it as mainly propane and butane; the bottles sold for leisure use are propane-based, which is what you want in a cold climate.
Households and campers get it through an exchange system. You buy a bottle once. After that, you hand in the empty and take a full one of the same type and size, paying only for the gas. You’ll see these bottles:
| Bottle | Material | Note |
|---|---|---|
| P11 | Steel | The classic exchange bottle |
| PA11 | Aluminum | The same size in aluminum |
| PC10 / PC5 | Composite | Shows the gas level; stocked in AGA’s 24-hour vending machines |
The problem for visitors is that the system is closed. Swedish bottles have a POL valve connection; German bottles use a DIN connection, and other countries use yet others. One Swedish dealer puts it plainly in its exchange terms: bottles bought abroad cannot be exchanged, and only the same type and size is swapped.
Your four options
There is no Swedish law about foreign bottles here — just a dealer system that will not take them. You have four ways round it.
- Arrive full. Fill every bottle and any tank at home. For a trip of a few weeks in summer, that is often enough.
- Use a refillable system. A fixed tank or a permanently mounted tank bottle (tankflaska) with an automatic 80% fill stop can be filled at LPG pumps across Europe, Sweden included. For a long trip this is the best setup. Loose bottles are not filled at pumps; the tank bottle must be fixed in the vehicle.
- Buy a Swedish bottle and an adapter. Fuel stations, hardware and motoring stores and gas dealers sell them, and some AGA sites have card-paid vending machines open around the clock. Swedish gas specialists sell adapters between the POL valve and continental connections such as DIN. Buy the right direction: Swedish bottle to your hose, not the other way round.
- Ask a specialist to fill your foreign bottle. Energigas Sverige says several Swedish filling companies can fill foreign cylinders for tourists and tradespeople, but connection types vary and not all can. Call first.
After any bottle change: check the connection with a leak indicator or leak spray. It takes minutes, and a mismatched thread is exactly where leaks start.
Finding LPG, and the fordonsgas trap
LPG is sold as motorgas or gasol at a small, dedicated network — Energigas Sverige lists around 50 stations, mostly in the south and center. Do not expect it at every fuel station, and in Norrland the gaps between stations are long. Fill before heading north and carry a spare.
What you will see at many Swedish stations is a pump labeled fordonsgas. That is compressed methane (biogas or natural gas) for gas cars, and it has nothing to do with LPG:
| Motorgas / LPG / gasol | Fordonsgas | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Liquefied propane-butane | Compressed methane (biogas/CNG) |
| Pressure the tank is built for | About 20 bar | About 230 bar |
| Fits motorhome gas systems | Yes, at an LPG pump | Never |
Warning: Never try to fill LPG equipment from a fordonsgas pump, and never use a home-made adapter to make it fit. The 230 bar gas can burst a tank built for 20. Sweden has had at least four such accidents; one in Stockholm in June 2022 killed one person and maimed another.
Gas on the ferry
Both operators we checked want your gas off. The rules are the operators’ own carriage terms rather than Swedish law, and they differ in detail:
- TT-Line (to Trelleborg): close the main valve of the gas bottles for stove and fridge before the crossing, and leave the gas compartment unlocked and accessible. Vehicle decks are locked for the whole crossing.
- Stena Line: valve closed for the entire sailing, and at most 3 cylinders with a combined weight of 47 kg in a motorhome or caravan.
Swedish rescue services give the same advice for any car ferry: close the main valve before you drive on board. Switch the fridge to off or 12 V before you queue. The route choice itself is covered in ferries from Germany to Sweden.
Safety on board
Swedish rescue services and Brandskyddsföreningen (the Swedish Fire Protection Association) give this guidance for leisure vehicles:
- Carbon monoxide, not fire, is the biggest gas risk. Fit a gas alarm for leaks and a smoke alarm, and carry a fire extinguisher of at least 2 kg.
- Bottles stand upright, fixed so they can be released without tools, reachable only from outside, with the main valve reachable from outside.
- A leisure caravan carries at most two bottles of up to 30 liters each. That is guidance, not statute; fixed tanks follow vehicle approval rules instead.
- Leak-test yearly and at every bottle change.
- Turn off every gas appliance when you refuel the vehicle, fridge flame included.
Gas is heavier than air and collects low down, so a leak can build up unnoticed near the floor.
Winter
Propane works in the cold; butane-rich blends from southern Europe may not vaporize, so the heater dies on the coldest night. Swedish leisure gas is propane-based. Even so, a cold bottle delivers less, so carry a spare. Gas itself does not go off, and a bottle can stay installed all year. For the rest of cold-weather preparation, see winter driving in Sweden.
In summer, the question flips: can you cook outside on gas during a fire ban? A standard ban usually allows gas stoves; stricter ones may not. What a Swedish fire ban means has the details.
Mistakes to avoid
- Expecting a fuel station to swap a German bottle. Plan for a Swedish bottle or a refillable system instead.
- Pulling up at a fordonsgas pump. Look for motorgas, gasol or LPG.
- Buying the adapter backwards. Match it to your hose and the Swedish POL valve.
- Assuming every station sells LPG. Save Energigas Sverige’s station list and plan stops.
- Leaving the fridge on gas while refueling or boarding. Switch it off or to 12 V first.
Practical information
| Item | What it costs |
|---|---|
| First Swedish bottle | Bottle plus gas; varies by size, material and seller |
| Exchanging an empty Swedish bottle | Gas only; no deposit |
| LPG at a pump | Per litre; varies by station |
| POL adapter | One-off purchase; varies by retailer |
| Filling a foreign cylinder at a specialist | Varies; ask before you drive there |
Swedish words on the way: gasol (bottled gas), byte (exchange), motorgas (LPG at a pump), fordonsgas (compressed methane, not LPG), tankflaska (refillable tank bottle), huvudventil (main valve), gasvarnare (gas alarm).
FAQ
Can I exchange my German gas bottle in Sweden?
No. Swedish dealers exchange only Swedish bottles of the same type and size, and say plainly that bottles bought abroad cannot be swapped. Swedish bottles also use a different valve connection. Your options are arriving with full bottles, using a refillable tank bottle filled at an LPG station, or buying a Swedish bottle and connecting it with an adapter.
Where can I buy a gas bottle in Sweden?
Fuel stations, hardware and motoring stores and gas dealers sell Swedish bottles; AGA also runs card-paid vending machines open around the clock. The first purchase includes the bottle, and after that you swap an empty for a full one and pay only for the gas. Common sizes are the P11 steel and PC10 composite bottles.
Where can I fill LPG in Sweden?
At dedicated LPG stations, sold as motorgas or gasol. Energigas Sverige lists around 50, far fewer than on the continent and sparse in the north. They fill vehicle tanks and permanently mounted tank bottles. Do not confuse them with fordonsgas pumps, which sell compressed methane and are not compatible with LPG equipment.
What adapter do I need for Swedish gas bottles?
Swedish bottles such as the P11, PC10 and PC5 have a POL connection; German bottles use a DIN connection. Swedish gas specialists sell adapters between them, supplied with a seal. Buy the direction you need — Swedish bottle to your hose — fit it carefully and check it with a leak indicator before using the gas.
Is fordonsgas the same as LPG?
No. Fordonsgas is compressed methane from biogas or natural gas, stored at about 230 bar. LPG, called motorgas or gasol, is liquefied propane-butane at about 20 bar. Forcing fordonsgas into an LPG tank with a home-made adapter can burst it, and such accidents have killed people in Sweden.
Do I have to turn off the gas on the ferry to Sweden?
Yes. TT-Line requires the main valve of gas bottles for stoves and fridges to be closed before the crossing and the gas compartment left unlocked. Stena Line requires the valve closed for the whole sailing and allows at most three cylinders totaling 47 kg. Check your own line’s terms before you travel.
Does gas work in a Swedish winter?
Propane does; butane-rich blends from southern Europe may not vaporize in the cold, leaving the heater without gas. Swedish consumer gas is propane-based. Even so, cold reduces what a bottle can deliver, so carry a spare and fill before heading north, where LPG stations are few.
Related guides
- Sweden by motorhome — the licence, speed and overnight rules this page plugs into
- Motorhome service stations — water and waste, the other half of the service stop
- Fuel stations in Sweden — paying at unmanned pumps, where most LPG stops start
- Ferries from Germany to Sweden — routes and booking with a motorhome
- Renting a motorhome in Sweden — what to check at handover, gas included
Facts verified 2026-09-24. Sources: TT-Line and Stena Line carriage terms, Räddningstjänsten Jämtland, Brandskyddsföreningen, Energigas Sverige and Swedish gas dealers’ exchange terms — full register in this topic’s source file. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.