Australia Visit & Tourist Visa from Dubai & Abu Dhabi (Subclass 600)

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If you are looking for an Australia visit visa or tourist visa from Dubai or Abu Dhabi, this is the visa you need. For UAE residents, short trips to Australia for tourism, holidays or visiting family and friends are covered by the Visitor visa (Subclass 600). Visa Doctor prepares and lodges the complete application for applicants across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE.

Do UAE residents need a visa for Australia, and how do you apply from Dubai or Abu Dhabi?

Yes. Most UAE residents need a Visitor visa (subclass 600) in the Tourist stream to visit Australia for a holiday or to see family and friends, and you apply for it online through ImmiAccount, not at an embassy. The visa application charge has been AUD 250 per applicant since 1 July 2026 when you apply from outside Australia. The Australian Department of Home Affairs decides every application.

An “Australia tourist visa” and an “Australia visit visa” are the same visa. Both phrases describe the Visitor visa (subclass 600). “Tourist” is the stream you choose inside that visa, and it covers holidays, cruises and visits to family or friends. Business trips use a different stream of the same visa, the Business Visitor stream.

Australia tourist visa from Dubai: the key facts

Which visa

Visitor visa (subclass 600), Tourist stream (apply outside Australia)

Where you apply

Online in ImmiAccount. You must be outside Australia when you apply and when the decision is made.

Official fee

AUD 250 per applicant, the base application charge since 1 July 2026. A surcharge may apply if you pay by credit card or PayPal.

Family members

You cannot include family in one application. Each person, including children, makes and pays for a separate application.

Processing time

The official guide, last updated 4 September 2026, shows 50% of recently decided tourist stream applications processed in 18 days and 90% in 38 days. This is a guide based on past cases, not a promise for yours.

Biometrics

Only if Home Affairs asks you after you apply. In the UAE they are collected at the Australian Biometric Collection Centres in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, run by VFS Global, or through the Australian Immi App if you are told you can use it.

Length of stay

Generally 3 months. Home Affairs may grant up to 12 months in certain circumstances, with single or multiple entry, decided case by case.

Visa label

None. The visa is linked digitally to your passport and the grant arrives in writing.

How to apply for an Australian visa from Dubai, step by step

1. Check you need subclass 600. Holders of some passports can use the cheaper Electronic Travel Authority or the free eVisitor instead (see the comparison below). Everyone else, including UAE citizens, applies for the Visitor visa (subclass 600).
2. Prepare your documents. Scan in colour the passport pages showing your photo, personal details and issue and expiry dates. Add proof that you are a genuine visitor, for example itemised personal bank statements for a 3 month period, a letter from your employer stating you plan to return to your job, and proof of family or assets that tie you to home. If you are visiting family or friends, include a letter from them explaining your relationship, the purpose and length of your visit, and whether you will stay with them. We also recommend adding your UAE residence visa and Emirates ID. Documents not in English need an English translation.
3. Lodge and pay in ImmiAccount. Create or log in to your ImmiAccount, complete the Visitor visa (subclass 600) Tourist stream form, attach your documents and pay the charge. Home Affairs will not process the application until the fee is paid.
4. Give biometrics or have health checks only if asked. Home Affairs tells you if you need to provide fingerprints and a facial image, and whether you must attend a centre in person. Book the appointment through VFS Global and bring the passport linked to your application.
5. Wait for the written decision. Do not travel until Home Affairs confirms in writing that the visa is granted. If it is refused, the letter gives the reasons and says whether you have a right to a review.

For the full checklist for your situation, use our visa document checklist generator, and read what your bank statements need to show. The fee change is explained in what UAE residents pay since 1 July 2026.

Biometrics for an Australian visa in Dubai

If Home Affairs asks for biometrics, the Australian Biometric Collection Centre in Dubai is at WAFI Mall, Level 1, Phase 5, Umm Hurair 2. It opens Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 16:00, with a Friday prayer break from 12:30 to 14:00. You need an appointment, and VFS Global charges a biometric collection service fee of AED 119, paid at the centre. Staff take a photo of your face and scan all 10 fingertips.

Health, character and genuine visitor requirements

You must meet Australia’s health and character requirements, have enough money to support yourself during your stay, and intend only to visit. You can have health examinations before you apply or wait until Home Affairs asks for them, and Home Affairs may ask you for a police certificate. It strongly recommends health insurance, and in some cases grants the visa with condition 8501, which requires you to keep adequate health insurance while in Australia.

How long can you stay on an Australian tourist visa?

Home Affairs generally grants a stay of 3 months and may grant up to 12 months in certain circumstances. The stay period and whether you get single or multiple entry are shown on your grant letter, and you cannot extend the visa once you are in Australia. Parents and step-parents of Australian citizens or permanent residents may be granted a visa valid for more than 12 months, but cannot stay more than 12 months in total in any 18 month period.

Do UAE citizens need a visa for Australia?

Yes. The UAE is not on the Home Affairs lists of passports eligible for the Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601) or the eVisitor (subclass 651), so Emirati passport holders apply for the Visitor visa (subclass 600) in the same way as other UAE residents.

Visitor visa 600 vs ETA 601 vs eVisitor 651

All three are applied for from outside Australia, and none of them allows paid work. If you have a criminal conviction, Home Affairs asks ETA and eVisitor passport holders to apply for the Visitor visa (subclass 600) instead.

Applying for an Australia visit visa from Abu Dhabi

An Australia visit visa from Abu Dhabi uses exactly the same online process as from Dubai: you apply in ImmiAccount, and there is no separate Abu Dhabi application route. The fee, documents and processing guide are the same for every emirate.

If Home Affairs asks for biometrics, Abu Dhabi residents can attend the Australian Biometric Collection Centre in Abu Dhabi, at Level B2 (Lower Ground), The Mall, World Trade Centre, Khalifa Bin Zayed The 1st Street (Airport Road). It keeps the same hours as the Dubai centre, Monday to Friday 09:00 to 16:00 with a Friday prayer break from 12:30 to 14:00, and charges the same AED 119 service fee. Book your appointment through VFS Global before you go.

The visa you need: Subclass 600

The Visitor visa (subclass 600) is the standard route for tourism, visiting family, or short business trips. Australia does not extend its ETA or eVisitor schemes to UAE residents or to most nationalities living here, so subclass 600 is almost always the answer.

Applying from the UAE

1. Create an ImmiAccount and complete the subclass 600 application online.
2. Upload your documents and pay the visa application charge by card.
3. Provide biometrics at the Australian Biometric Collection Centre in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, run by VFS Global, only if Home Affairs asks you to.
4. Wait for the decision, which arrives by email. The visa is electronic, so nothing is stamped in your passport.

Processing time: plan generously

Australia is one of the least predictable visas we handle. Published processing times move constantly, and on 23 September 2026 the official guide showed 50% of recently decided tourist stream applications processed in 18 days and 90% in 38 days. Applications that need more information, biometrics or health checks can take longer. There is no official priority or fast-track service. Start at least 2 to 3 months before travel and do not book non-refundable flights.

Documents you will typically need

• Passport with good validity, plus previous passports.
• UAE residence visa and Emirates ID.
• Bank statements (itemised personal statements for a 3 month period) showing you can fund the trip.
• Employment letter / NOC with salary and approved leave, or trade licence.
• Flight and accommodation plans and a day-by-day itinerary.
• A cover letter explaining the purpose of your visit.
• If visiting family: an invitation letter and the host’s Australian status.
• Health insurance, which Home Affairs strongly recommends and requires if your visa carries condition 8501, and a medical examination if Home Affairs asks for one.

Build your list with the document checklist generator and estimate the cost with the visa cost calculator.

What decides an Australian visa

Australian case officers apply the genuine temporary entrant test: are you a real visitor who will leave? They look hard at your ties (a stable UAE job, salary history, tenancy and family) and at whether your finances genuinely support the trip. Unexplained deposits shortly before applying are a common cause of refusal. Test your case with the approval-chance estimator, and if you have been refused before, declare it and read our refusal decoder.

If you have been refused an Australian visa before, read what to do after an Australia visa refusal from Dubai before you apply again.

How Visa Doctor helps

We prepare Australian visitor visa applications for UAE residents: document review before submission, correct ImmiAccount lodgement, a cover letter that addresses the genuine-visitor test directly, and biometrics booking where required. See all our services, or check where else you can travel with our passport index tool.

Frequently asked questions

Talk to us about your Australia trip

Tell us your nationality and travel dates and we will tell you what is realistic.

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Australian visa rules, charges and processing times change frequently. This page is general information. Always confirm current requirements with the Australian Department of Home Affairs, or contact our agents. Visa Doctor is a licensed private service provider and is not a government authority; we do not issue visas.

Sources and official references

Checked on 23 September 2026. Rules and fees change, so confirm with the official source before you apply.

• Australian Department of Home Affairs: Visitor visa (subclass 600)
• Australian Department of Home Affairs: Biometrics
• Australian Embassy in Abu Dhabi: Visas and migration
• Australian Embassy in Abu Dhabi: Travelling to Australia

Related guide: Australian embassy Dubai visa application guide. All our embassy and visa centre guides are in the embassies and consulates in Dubai and Abu Dhabi hub.

Related: visa help for Abu Dhabi residents.