The short answer
Take your European gas bottles out before shipping. Buy a local bottle when you arrive. It costs less than a gas-free certificate, and it comes with the right valve for local refills and swaps.
In both Australia and New Zealand, filling a bottle depends on its local approval and its test date. A European bottle usually has neither. So even if you got it there, you could struggle to refill it.
Before you ship
- Take removable gas bottles out. Any bottle that stays in the vehicle must be empty with a gas-free certificate.
- Fixed tanks (for example Gaslow or Alugas built-in systems) cannot be removed easily. They must be empty and you need a gas-free certificate.
- Keep your regulator and pigtail if you like, but expect to replace them on arrival.
Australia
Cylinder rules. Australian bottles carry a test date stamp, usually on the collar or neck. The stamp is valid for 10 years. A bottle that is out of date must not be refilled until an approved test station has inspected and restamped it. Refillers must refuse any bottle they cannot verify.
European bottles and tanks. Expect a European bottle to be refused. It is not stamped to Australian requirements, and refill stations work to AS 2030. Do not try to fill a portable bottle, including a refillable bottle, at a service station LPG pump. Victoria’s regulator says this is dangerous and prohibited. Gaslow sells a Euro adaptor it lists for Australian LPG stations, but that does not change the rules on what may be filled.
Local bottles. The common sizes are 9 kg (holds 8.5 kg of gas) and 4 kg (holds 3.7 kg). Swap’n’Go and similar exchange schemes run through hardware stores and service stations. You can buy a full bottle without one to swap. You keep the bottle you are given.
Connections. Leisure bottles of 4.5 kg and 9 kg now come with the LCC27 valve. It also takes the older POL connection used on caravans, so it suits existing caravan installations. Do not use adaptors to link a new-style appliance to an old POL bottle. When you swap, ask for the valve your system needs.
Your gas installation. Gas work on a motorhome must be done by a licensed gas fitter, to AS/NZS 5601.2. A European system will usually need a local pigtail, and possibly a regulator, fitted by a licensed fitter. Ask for a compliance certificate when the work is done. Caravans and motorhomes certified after 1 April 2022 must have the LCC27 connection.
Registration. Rules vary by state. If you are visiting on a carnet with your home registration, you are not registering the vehicle locally. If you import it permanently, expect to need gas compliance evidence. Victoria asks for this when a vehicle is approved as a motorhome. Queensland requires a gas inspection and certificate before a recreational vehicle is resold.
New Zealand
Cylinder rules. Refillable bottles approved for filling in New Zealand are stamped with a record number (LAB xxxx) or carry UN markings. By law they must be tested every ten years. The date is stamped on the neck.
European bottles and tanks. WorkSafe New Zealand is clear. Bottles brought in as personal effects may not be filled in New Zealand unless WorkSafe has approved them. In practice, a European bottle will not be refilled. Fixed tanks are less clear. Ask a gas fitter before you rely on filling one.
Local bottles. The 9 kg bottle is the standard size for campers. Swap schemes (for example Swap’n’Go, plus retailer swaps at Bunnings and Mitre 10) let you exchange an empty bottle for a full one. You can also buy a full bottle outright. 9 kg bottles use the POL connection.
Your gas installation. Connecting any bottle to a gas system counts as gasfitting, whatever the bottle size. On a vehicle with sleeping space it is high-risk work for an authorised gasfitter. The fitter issues a Gas Safety Certificate and, for this type of work, a Certificate of Compliance. Imported systems often need new pigtails to suit New Zealand bottles. Many European appliances are certified for propane only, while New Zealand LPG is a propane and butane mix. The fitter must confirm your appliances are safe on it.
Warrant of Fitness and self-containment. A vehicle imported temporarily, for example on a carnet, does not need full entry certification. It gets a basic safety inspection before a Warrant of Fitness is issued. The WoF does not cover the gas system. Self-containment certification is about water, waste and toilet, not gas. If you hire out the vehicle, a separate electrical warrant applies.
Our advice
- Take gas bottles out before shipping. Any bottle or fixed tank left in the vehicle must be empty with a gas-free certificate.
- Budget for one or two local 9 kg bottles on arrival.
- Book a licensed gas fitter in your first week to fit the right pigtail and check your appliances.
- Keep the gas certificate with your vehicle papers.
We are a member of BIFA and FIATA. We can talk you through the shipping side when you ask for instant pricing.
Your questions answered
Q: Can I take my European gas bottles in my motorhome to Australia or New Zealand? A: No. Gas bottles must not be on board for shipping. Remove them before handover. Fixed tanks must be empty, with a gas-free certificate.
Q: Can I refill a European gas bottle in Australia? A: Usually not. Australian refillers fill only bottles they can verify, with a test stamp in the last 10 years. A European bottle normally lacks Australian markings. Filling portable bottles at service station LPG pumps is prohibited.
Q: Can I refill a European gas bottle in New Zealand? A: Not unless WorkSafe New Zealand has approved it. Bottles brought in as personal effects may not be filled without that approval. Buy a local 9 kg bottle instead.
Q: What gas bottle should I buy on arrival? A: A 9 kg bottle is the usual choice in both countries. In Australia, a 4 kg bottle suits small vans. Swap schemes let you exchange an empty bottle for a full one at hardware stores and service stations.
Q: Will a local bottle connect to my European gas system? A: Not directly. You will need a local pigtail, and possibly a regulator. In both countries this work must be done by a licensed gas fitter, who issues a certificate.
Q: Is it cheaper to get a gas-free certificate or buy a new bottle? A: For removable bottles, buying a local bottle on arrival is usually cheaper and simpler. A gas-free certificate is only needed for fixed tanks that cannot be removed.
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