The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog will visit Australia as the agency prepares to scrutinise the federal government's plan to build nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS partnership.

According to ABC the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, will travel to Canberra, Sydney and Adelaide next week.

He is expected to hold talks with senior officials in Canberra and meet Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

The director-general is also scheduled to visit the premises of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation at the Lucas Heights nuclear reactor in Sydney.

Mr Grossi's visit is likely to focus heavily on the regulatory safeguards that Australia will have to put in place to ensure the nuclear submarine program does not pose any nuclear-proliferation or safety risks.

He is also expected to discuss the legal implications of the pact.

If Australia succeeds in building nuclear-powered submarines it will become the first non-nuclear-weapons state to do so.

Australia is a signatory to the IAEA Non-Proliferation Treaty, which means it will have to convince the organisation that the transfer of nuclear technology and materials to power the submarines does not breach the agreement.

The treaty does not prohibit the use of nuclear material for nuclear naval propulsion, and the federal government maintains that the AUKUS program does not pose any proliferation risks and will not undermine the treaty.