COUNTRY GUIDE · UPDATED 26 SEPTEMBER 2026

Australia visitor visa guide for Saudi passport holders.

Saudi passport holders planning tourism or a family visit can start with the overseas Visitor visa (subclass 600) Tourist stream. A Saudi passport is not on the current ETA or eVisitor passport lists; residence elsewhere does not change that passport rule.

START WITH THE PASSPORT

Which visitor visa should you check?

Choose the visa for the trip you will actually make. Longer study, paid work or joining family to live in Australia require their own visa assessment. Where you live affects local follow-up, not the passport used for short-visit eligibility.

The Visitor visa (subclass 600) tourist stream is a useful first page to review for a visit. Eligibility depends on your exact circumstances. Home Affairs decides applications.

Explore official visa options · Read the relevant visa page

COUNTRY-SPECIFIC NOTE

What else should you know?

The Australian Embassy in Riyadh does not process visa applications. Use Home Affairs and ImmiAccount, and if biometrics are requested while you live in Saudi Arabia, check the letter for an eligible AUI number before choosing the Australian Immi App or a collection centre.

Australian Embassy in Riyadh

SAUDI PASSPORT / VISIT

Start with the overseas Visitor 600 Tourist stream

A Saudi passport is absent from the current ETA and eVisitor passport lists. For an independent holiday or short family visit, check the Visitor visa (subclass 600) Tourist stream for applicants outside Australia. It asks for a genuine temporary visit and enough money for the stay. It does not permit employment. A business visit, formal family sponsorship, longer study or work requires a separate stream or visa check.

Living in the UAE, UK or another country does not turn a Saudi passport into an ETA or eVisitor passport. If you also hold another citizenship, check the exact passport you will use to enter Australia and disclose other passports when the application asks.

Official overseas Tourist stream · ETA passport list · eVisitor passport list · Compare purposes →

PREPARE AND LODGE

Build a clear temporary-visit account

  1. Read the current Tourist stream eligibility, location rule, charge and conditions before applying. You must be outside Australia when lodging that stream and when Home Affairs decides it.
  2. Prepare accurate passport and identity details, the reason and approximate timing of the trip, funding and relevant circumstances where you live. An invitation can explain a family visit, but it does not guarantee approval.
  3. Use ImmiAccount to complete the application and attach the evidence it requests. The Australian Embassy in Riyadh does not process applications or decide them.
  4. Watch for any biometrics, health or document request. Follow the instructions for your actual country of residence, then read the written outcome before finalising travel.

There is no universal bank balance or processing date that guarantees a result. Follow the live visa page and your own application, rather than an old centre checklist.

Detailed Visitor 600 evidence guide → · Embassy visa-service notice · Current processing guide

IF YOU LIVE IN SAUDI ARABIA

Check biometrics against your own letter

Home Affairs lists Saudi Arabia for the Australian Immi App, but only an eligible biometrics letter with a visa lodgement number beginning AUI lets you use it. If your number does not begin AUI, follow the collection-centre instructions in your letter and the current overseas-services directory. An older Embassy FAQ describes in-person collection broadly; the current Home Affairs app rule is more specific.

If you live outside Saudi Arabia, use the local service instructions for that residence instead. The Embassy in Riyadh cannot give an individual visa status update; keep access to ImmiAccount and read the official decision.

Saudi Arabia residence guide → · AUI app eligibility · Current collection services

DOCUMENTS TO PREPARE

Build a clear, consistent application

  • Passport and identity documents that match your application.
  • A simple account of your travel dates, purpose and accommodation.
  • Evidence that you can fund the trip, or details of a supporter.
  • Relevant work, study, family or residence evidence that explains your circumstances.
  • Invitation details if you are visiting someone.
  • Clear scans and translations where required.

Home Affairs can request additional evidence, biometrics or health checks. See its document preparation advice and our biometrics guide.

FROM APPLICATION TO ARRIVAL

Your step-by-step outline

  1. Confirm the right visa, fee, eligibility and conditions on Home Affairs.
  2. Gather evidence and check every answer against your passport.
  3. Use the official application channel and keep your reference number.
  4. Follow any requests for biometrics, health checks or more documents.
  5. Read the decision notice and all visa conditions before travelling.

Open ImmiAccount · Check processing estimates

PERSONALISE THIS GUIDE

Where do you live now?

Your residence affects where you may need to complete local steps. Choose it and your travel purpose to get a tailored starting plan and checklist.

This guide starts with Saudi Arabia. Change the selection if it does not describe your travel document. For citizenship not identified or not applicable, choose Other or Not sure below.
Choose “Other” for a non-citizen passport, certificate of identity or refugee travel document. If you cannot identify the type, choose “I am not sure”. Read the passport and travel-document guide →

Different citizenship? Choose a different passport country.

Prepared by MyAusVisa with AI assistance · Sources reviewed 26 September 2026