A control device for an internal combustion engine is provided. The control device includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to set a target air-fuel ratio to a rich air-fuel ratio from a time at which fuel cut control for terminating fuel supply to a combustion chamber during operation of the internal combustion engine is terminated to a time at which an output air-fuel ratio of a downstream-side air-fuel ratio sensor becomes a rich determination air-fuel ratio or lower, temporarily set the target air-fuel ratio to the rich air-fuel ratio after the output air-fuel ratio of the downstream-side air-fuel ratio sensor becomes the rich determination air-fuel ratio or lower, and thereafter set the target air-fuel ratio to a lean air-fuel ratio.