diff --git a/cinder/tests/unit/test_vmware_volumeops.py b/cinder/tests/unit/test_vmware_volumeops.py
index 743f13c0c04..93f0819b3e8 100644
--- a/cinder/tests/unit/test_vmware_volumeops.py
+++ b/cinder/tests/unit/test_vmware_volumeops.py
@@ -1958,6 +1958,8 @@ class VirtualDiskAdapterTypeTest(test.TestCase):
         self.assertTrue(volumeops.VirtualDiskAdapterType.is_valid("busLogic"))
         self.assertTrue(volumeops.VirtualDiskAdapterType.is_valid(
                         "lsiLogicsas"))
+        self.assertTrue(
+            volumeops.VirtualDiskAdapterType.is_valid("paraVirtual"))
         self.assertTrue(volumeops.VirtualDiskAdapterType.is_valid("ide"))
         self.assertFalse(volumeops.VirtualDiskAdapterType.is_valid("pvscsi"))
 
@@ -1965,6 +1967,7 @@ class VirtualDiskAdapterTypeTest(test.TestCase):
         volumeops.VirtualDiskAdapterType.validate("lsiLogic")
         volumeops.VirtualDiskAdapterType.validate("busLogic")
         volumeops.VirtualDiskAdapterType.validate("lsiLogicsas")
+        volumeops.VirtualDiskAdapterType.validate("paraVirtual")
         volumeops.VirtualDiskAdapterType.validate("ide")
         self.assertRaises(vmdk_exceptions.InvalidAdapterTypeException,
                           volumeops.VirtualDiskAdapterType.validate,
@@ -1980,6 +1983,9 @@ class VirtualDiskAdapterTypeTest(test.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual("lsiLogic",
                          volumeops.VirtualDiskAdapterType.get_adapter_type(
                              "lsiLogicsas"))
+        self.assertEqual("lsiLogic",
+                         volumeops.VirtualDiskAdapterType.get_adapter_type(
+                             "paraVirtual"))
         self.assertEqual("ide",
                          volumeops.VirtualDiskAdapterType.get_adapter_type(
                              "ide"))
@@ -2001,6 +2007,9 @@ class ControllerTypeTest(test.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(volumeops.ControllerType.LSI_LOGIC_SAS,
                          volumeops.ControllerType.get_controller_type(
                              'lsiLogicsas'))
+        self.assertEqual(volumeops.ControllerType.PARA_VIRTUAL,
+                         volumeops.ControllerType.get_controller_type(
+                             'paraVirtual'))
         self.assertEqual(volumeops.ControllerType.IDE,
                          volumeops.ControllerType.get_controller_type(
                              'ide'))
@@ -2015,5 +2024,7 @@ class ControllerTypeTest(test.TestCase):
             volumeops.ControllerType.BUS_LOGIC))
         self.assertTrue(volumeops.ControllerType.is_scsi_controller(
             volumeops.ControllerType.LSI_LOGIC_SAS))
+        self.assertTrue(volumeops.ControllerType.is_scsi_controller(
+            volumeops.ControllerType.PARA_VIRTUAL))
         self.assertFalse(volumeops.ControllerType.is_scsi_controller(
             volumeops.ControllerType.IDE))
diff --git a/cinder/volume/drivers/vmware/volumeops.py b/cinder/volume/drivers/vmware/volumeops.py
index f5405c95f8a..e19daa57fbd 100644
--- a/cinder/volume/drivers/vmware/volumeops.py
+++ b/cinder/volume/drivers/vmware/volumeops.py
@@ -183,6 +183,7 @@ class VirtualDiskAdapterType(object):
     LSI_LOGIC = "lsiLogic"
     BUS_LOGIC = "busLogic"
     LSI_LOGIC_SAS = "lsiLogicsas"
+    PARA_VIRTUAL = "paraVirtual"
     IDE = "ide"
 
     @staticmethod
@@ -195,6 +196,7 @@ class VirtualDiskAdapterType(object):
         return adapter_type in [VirtualDiskAdapterType.LSI_LOGIC,
                                 VirtualDiskAdapterType.BUS_LOGIC,
                                 VirtualDiskAdapterType.LSI_LOGIC_SAS,
+                                VirtualDiskAdapterType.PARA_VIRTUAL,
                                 VirtualDiskAdapterType.IDE]
 
     @staticmethod
@@ -212,20 +214,23 @@ class VirtualDiskAdapterType(object):
                 invalid_type=extra_spec_adapter_type)
 
     @staticmethod
-    def get_adapter_type(extra_spec_adapter_type):
+    def get_adapter_type(extra_spec_adapter):
         """Get the adapter type to be used in VirtualDiskSpec.
 
-        :param extra_spec_adapter_type: adapter type in the extra_spec
+        :param extra_spec_adapter: adapter type in the extra_spec
         :return: adapter type to be used in VirtualDiskSpec
         """
-        VirtualDiskAdapterType.validate(extra_spec_adapter_type)
-        # We set the adapter type as lsiLogic for lsiLogicsas since it is not
-        # supported by VirtualDiskManager APIs. This won't be a problem because
-        # we attach the virtual disk to the correct controller type and the
-        # disk adapter type is always resolved using its controller key.
-        if extra_spec_adapter_type == VirtualDiskAdapterType.LSI_LOGIC_SAS:
+        VirtualDiskAdapterType.validate(extra_spec_adapter)
+        # We set the adapter type as lsiLogic for lsiLogicsas/paraVirtual
+        # since it is not supported by VirtualDiskManager APIs. This won't
+        # be a problem because we attach the virtual disk to the correct
+        # controller type and the disk adapter type is always resolved using
+        # its controller key.
+        if (extra_spec_adapter == VirtualDiskAdapterType.LSI_LOGIC_SAS or
+                extra_spec_adapter == VirtualDiskAdapterType.PARA_VIRTUAL):
             return VirtualDiskAdapterType.LSI_LOGIC
-        return extra_spec_adapter_type
+        else:
+            return extra_spec_adapter
 
 
 class ControllerType(object):
@@ -234,12 +239,14 @@ class ControllerType(object):
     LSI_LOGIC = 'VirtualLsiLogicController'
     BUS_LOGIC = 'VirtualBusLogicController'
     LSI_LOGIC_SAS = 'VirtualLsiLogicSASController'
+    PARA_VIRTUAL = 'ParaVirtualSCSIController'
     IDE = 'VirtualIDEController'
 
     CONTROLLER_TYPE_DICT = {
         VirtualDiskAdapterType.LSI_LOGIC: LSI_LOGIC,
         VirtualDiskAdapterType.BUS_LOGIC: BUS_LOGIC,
         VirtualDiskAdapterType.LSI_LOGIC_SAS: LSI_LOGIC_SAS,
+        VirtualDiskAdapterType.PARA_VIRTUAL: PARA_VIRTUAL,
         VirtualDiskAdapterType.IDE: IDE}
 
     @staticmethod
@@ -264,7 +271,8 @@ class ControllerType(object):
         """
         return controller_type in [ControllerType.LSI_LOGIC,
                                    ControllerType.BUS_LOGIC,
-                                   ControllerType.LSI_LOGIC_SAS]
+                                   ControllerType.LSI_LOGIC_SAS,
+                                   ControllerType.PARA_VIRTUAL]
 
 
 class VMwareVolumeOps(object):
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/vmware_vmdk_paravirtual-3d5eeef96dcbcfb7.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/vmware_vmdk_paravirtual-3d5eeef96dcbcfb7.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c07eeff96b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/vmware_vmdk_paravirtual-3d5eeef96dcbcfb7.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+---
+fixes:
+  - Added support for images with vmware_adaptertype set to
+    paraVirtual in the VMDK driver.