diff --git a/packages/eslint-plugin/src/rules/no-import-type-side-effects.ts b/packages/eslint-plugin/src/rules/no-import-type-side-effects.ts
index ce80a654afe5..941aa93e72ae 100644
--- a/packages/eslint-plugin/src/rules/no-import-type-side-effects.ts
+++ b/packages/eslint-plugin/src/rules/no-import-type-side-effects.ts
@@ -29,6 +29,10 @@ export default util.createRule<Options, MessageIds>({
       'ImportDeclaration[importKind!="type"]'(
         node: TSESTree.ImportDeclaration,
       ): void {
+        if (node.specifiers.length === 0) {
+          return;
+        }
+
         const specifiers: TSESTree.ImportSpecifier[] = [];
         for (const specifier of node.specifiers) {
           if (
diff --git a/packages/eslint-plugin/tests/rules/no-import-type-side-effects.test.ts b/packages/eslint-plugin/tests/rules/no-import-type-side-effects.test.ts
index 9dade06a9432..98d7923e4b45 100644
--- a/packages/eslint-plugin/tests/rules/no-import-type-side-effects.test.ts
+++ b/packages/eslint-plugin/tests/rules/no-import-type-side-effects.test.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ ruleTester.run('no-import-type-side-effects', rule, {
     "import type T, { U } from 'mod';",
     "import T, { type U } from 'mod';",
     "import type * as T from 'mod';",
+    "import 'mod';",
   ],
   invalid: [
     {