To provide a control device for an internal combustion engine capable of avoiding the occurrence of various ill effects such as control instability resulting from the execution of engine control based on the detected temperature of cooling water temporarily falling in reliability when starting circulation of cooling water.

The control device for the internal combustion engine includes a cooling water passage 70, a water temperature sensor 81, a water pump 63 capable of stopping the discharge of cooling water without depending on the engine speed, and a cooling device 60 stopping driving of the water pump 63 when the cooling water temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature in engine warming-up. When cooling water is discharged to start circulation of cooling water, at least one of engine control of incorporating the cooling water temperature as control information such as EGR control and valve timing control is maintained as it is in the control state when starting circulation of cooling water until the lapse of a transient period which is a period in which a temporary temperature change in each part of the cooling water passage 70 caused by the circulation of cooling water is converged.