diff --git a/.changeset/afraid-falcons-hang.md b/.changeset/afraid-falcons-hang.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..435f0faab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/afraid-falcons-hang.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'eslint-plugin-svelte': minor
+---
+
+feat(no-navigation-without-resolve): ignoring links with rel=external
diff --git a/packages/eslint-plugin-svelte/src/rules/no-navigation-without-resolve.ts b/packages/eslint-plugin-svelte/src/rules/no-navigation-without-resolve.ts
index 9fa001223..7d21b1bf8 100644
--- a/packages/eslint-plugin-svelte/src/rules/no-navigation-without-resolve.ts
+++ b/packages/eslint-plugin-svelte/src/rules/no-navigation-without-resolve.ts
@@ -98,7 +98,8 @@ export default createRule('no-navigation-without-resolve', {
 					node.parent.parent.name.type !== 'SvelteName' ||
 					node.parent.parent.name.name !== 'a' ||
 					node.key.name !== 'href' ||
-					node.value.type !== 'Identifier'
+					node.value.type !== 'Identifier' ||
+					hasRelExternal(new FindVariableContext(context), node.parent)
 				) {
 					return;
 				}
@@ -117,7 +118,8 @@ export default createRule('no-navigation-without-resolve', {
 					node.parent.parent.kind !== 'html' ||
 					node.parent.parent.name.type !== 'SvelteName' ||
 					node.parent.parent.name.name !== 'a' ||
-					node.key.name !== 'href'
+					node.key.name !== 'href' ||
+					hasRelExternal(new FindVariableContext(context), node.parent)
 				) {
 					return;
 				}
@@ -431,3 +433,38 @@ function templateLiteralIsFragment(
 function urlValueIsFragment(url: string): boolean {
 	return url.startsWith('#');
 }
+
+function hasRelExternal(ctx: FindVariableContext, element: AST.SvelteStartTag): boolean {
+	function identifierIsExternal(identifier: TSESTree.Identifier): boolean {
+		const variable = ctx.findVariable(identifier);
+		return (
+			variable !== null &&
+			variable.identifiers.length > 0 &&
+			variable.identifiers[0].parent.type === 'VariableDeclarator' &&
+			variable.identifiers[0].parent.init !== null &&
+			variable.identifiers[0].parent.init.type === 'Literal' &&
+			variable.identifiers[0].parent.init.value === 'external'
+		);
+	}
+
+	for (const attr of element.attributes) {
+		if (
+			(attr.type === 'SvelteAttribute' &&
+				attr.key.name === 'rel' &&
+				((attr.value[0].type === 'SvelteLiteral' &&
+					attr.value[0].value.split(/\s+/).includes('external')) ||
+					(attr.value[0].type === 'SvelteMustacheTag' &&
+						((attr.value[0].expression.type === 'Literal' &&
+							attr.value[0].expression.value?.toString().split(/\s+/).includes('external')) ||
+							(attr.value[0].expression.type === 'Identifier' &&
+								identifierIsExternal(attr.value[0].expression)))))) ||
+			(attr.type === 'SvelteShorthandAttribute' &&
+				attr.key.name === 'rel' &&
+				attr.value.type === 'Identifier' &&
+				identifierIsExternal(attr.value))
+		) {
+			return true;
+		}
+	}
+	return false;
+}
diff --git a/packages/eslint-plugin-svelte/tests/fixtures/rules/no-navigation-without-resolve/valid/link-rel-external01-input.svelte b/packages/eslint-plugin-svelte/tests/fixtures/rules/no-navigation-without-resolve/valid/link-rel-external01-input.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..46e5282a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/eslint-plugin-svelte/tests/fixtures/rules/no-navigation-without-resolve/valid/link-rel-external01-input.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+<script>
+	const value = 'whatever';
+	const href = 'whatever';
+	const external = 'external';
+	const rel = 'external';
+</script>
+
+<a href="whatever" rel="external">Click me!</a>
+<a href={'whatever'} rel="external">Click me!</a>
+<a href={value} rel="external">Click me!</a>
+<a {href} rel="external">Click me!</a>
+<a href="whatever" rel={'external'}>Click me!</a>
+<a href="whatever" rel={external}>Click me!</a>
+<a href="whatever" {rel}>Click me!</a>
+<a href="whatever" rel="noopener external noreferrer">Click me!</a>