diff --git a/specs/fixtures/routing/pages/index.vue b/specs/fixtures/routing/pages/index.vue
index 16547bf01..5ccd636ac 100644
--- a/specs/fixtures/routing/pages/index.vue
+++ b/specs/fixtures/routing/pages/index.vue
@@ -45,6 +45,11 @@ const localeRoute = useLocaleRoute()
 
       <!-- no define name -->
       <span class="undefined-name">{{ localePath('vue-i18n') }}</span>
+
+      <!-- external -->
+      <span class="external-link">{{ localePath('https://github.com') }}</span>
+      <span class="external-mail">{{ localePath('mailto:example@mail.com') }}</span>
+      <span class="external-phone">{{ localePath('tel:+31612345678') }}</span>
     </section>
     <ClientOnly>
       <section id="locale-route">
diff --git a/specs/routing/routing-tests.ts b/specs/routing/routing-tests.ts
index 55d9c5565..bbf701956 100644
--- a/specs/routing/routing-tests.ts
+++ b/specs/routing/routing-tests.ts
@@ -64,6 +64,11 @@ export async function localePathTests(strategy: Strategies) {
   // undefined name
   expect(await getText(page, '#locale-path .undefined-name')).toEqual('')
 
+  // external
+  expect(await getText(page, '#locale-path .external-link')).toEqual('https://github.com')
+  expect(await getText(page, '#locale-path .external-mail')).toEqual('mailto:example@mail.com')
+  expect(await getText(page, '#locale-path .external-phone')).toEqual('tel:+31612345678')
+
   // for vue-router deprecation
   // https://github.com/vuejs/router/blob/main/packages/router/CHANGELOG.md#414-2022-08-22
   expect(consoleLogs.find(log => log.text.includes('Discarded invalid param(s)'))).toBeFalsy()
diff --git a/src/runtime/routing/compatibles/routing.ts b/src/runtime/routing/compatibles/routing.ts
index 72c2100cc..965ec0f47 100644
--- a/src/runtime/routing/compatibles/routing.ts
+++ b/src/runtime/routing/compatibles/routing.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* eslint-disable @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any */
 import { isString, assign } from '@intlify/shared'
-import { parsePath, parseQuery, withTrailingSlash, withoutTrailingSlash } from 'ufo'
+import { hasProtocol, parsePath, parseQuery, withTrailingSlash, withoutTrailingSlash } from 'ufo'
 import { nuxtI18nOptions, DEFAULT_DYNAMIC_PARAMS_KEY } from '#build/i18n.options.mjs'
 import { unref } from '#imports'
 
@@ -75,6 +75,11 @@ export function localePath(
   route: RouteLocationRaw,
   locale?: Locale // TODO: locale should be more type inference (completion)
 ): string {
+  // return external url as is
+  if (typeof route === 'string' && hasProtocol(route, { acceptRelative: true })) {
+    return route
+  }
+
   const localizedRoute = resolveRoute(common, route, locale)
   return localizedRoute == null ? '' : localizedRoute.redirectedFrom?.fullPath || localizedRoute.fullPath
 }