A control device for an internal combustion engine executes an automatic stop control and automatic start-up control for an intermittent operation of the internal combustion engine. In the automatic start-up control, the control device is configured to commence a restart by starting fuel injection from a fuel-injection-start cylinder. In the automatic stop control, the control device is configured to: execute an air-fuel-ratio rich processing that controls an air-fuel ratio such that the air-fuel ratio becomes richer than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio before a start of the fuel cut; execute a throttle closing processing that closes a throttle valve in synchronization with the fuel cut; and execute a throttle opening processing approaches the atmospheric air pressure before a cylinder destined to be the fuel-injection-start cylinder later completes the last intake stroke in the course of the engine stop after execution of the throttle closing processing.