diff --git a/django/core/mail/backends/filebased.py b/django/core/mail/backends/filebased.py
index b30bb67e92..498d86fba8 100644
--- a/django/core/mail/backends/filebased.py
+++ b/django/core/mail/backends/filebased.py
@@ -17,9 +17,6 @@ class EmailBackend(ConsoleEmailBackend):
             self.file_path = file_path
         else:
             self.file_path = getattr(settings, 'EMAIL_FILE_PATH', None)
-        # Make sure self.file_path is a string.
-        if not isinstance(self.file_path, str):
-            raise ImproperlyConfigured('Path for saving emails is invalid: %r' % self.file_path)
         self.file_path = os.path.abspath(self.file_path)
         try:
             os.makedirs(self.file_path, exist_ok=True)
diff --git a/docs/ref/settings.txt b/docs/ref/settings.txt
index d67d706d66..97b1584765 100644
--- a/docs/ref/settings.txt
+++ b/docs/ref/settings.txt
@@ -1283,6 +1283,10 @@ Default: Not defined
 The directory used by the :ref:`file email backend <topic-email-file-backend>`
 to store output files.
 
+.. versionchanged:: 3.1
+
+    Support for :class:`pathlib.Path` was added.
+
 .. setting:: EMAIL_HOST
 
 ``EMAIL_HOST``
diff --git a/docs/releases/3.1.txt b/docs/releases/3.1.txt
index 1a965b41b5..a35ae79ea9 100644
--- a/docs/releases/3.1.txt
+++ b/docs/releases/3.1.txt
@@ -119,7 +119,8 @@ CSRF
 Email
 ~~~~~
 
-* ...
+* The :setting:`EMAIL_FILE_PATH` setting, used by the :ref:`file email backend
+  <topic-email-file-backend>`, now supports :class:`pathlib.Path`.
 
 File Storage
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~
diff --git a/docs/topics/email.txt b/docs/topics/email.txt
index bc983b4f2e..37db613f82 100644
--- a/docs/topics/email.txt
+++ b/docs/topics/email.txt
@@ -527,6 +527,10 @@ To specify this backend, put the following in your settings::
 This backend is not intended for use in production -- it is provided as a
 convenience that can be used during development.
 
+.. versionchanged:: 3.1
+
+    Support for :class:`pathlib.Path` was added.
+
 .. _topic-email-memory-backend:
 
 In-memory backend
diff --git a/tests/mail/tests.py b/tests/mail/tests.py
index 6de819965a..567a012b8d 100644
--- a/tests/mail/tests.py
+++ b/tests/mail/tests.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ from email.header import Header
 from email.mime.text import MIMEText
 from email.utils import parseaddr
 from io import StringIO
+from pathlib import Path
 from smtplib import SMTP, SMTPAuthenticationError, SMTPException
 from ssl import SSLError
 from unittest import mock
@@ -567,6 +568,10 @@ class MailTests(HeadersCheckMixin, SimpleTestCase):
                 mail.get_connection('django.core.mail.backends.filebased.EmailBackend', file_path=tmp_dir),
                 filebased.EmailBackend
             )
+
+        msg = 'expected str, bytes or os.PathLike object, not object'
+        with self.assertRaisesMessage(TypeError, msg):
+            mail.get_connection('django.core.mail.backends.filebased.EmailBackend', file_path=object())
         self.assertIsInstance(mail.get_connection(), locmem.EmailBackend)
 
     @override_settings(
@@ -1154,7 +1159,7 @@ class FileBackendTests(BaseEmailBackendTests, SimpleTestCase):
 
     def setUp(self):
         super().setUp()
-        self.tmp_dir = tempfile.mkdtemp()
+        self.tmp_dir = self.mkdtemp()
         self.addCleanup(shutil.rmtree, self.tmp_dir)
         self._settings_override = override_settings(EMAIL_FILE_PATH=self.tmp_dir)
         self._settings_override.enable()
@@ -1163,6 +1168,9 @@ class FileBackendTests(BaseEmailBackendTests, SimpleTestCase):
         self._settings_override.disable()
         super().tearDown()
 
+    def mkdtemp(self):
+        return tempfile.mkdtemp()
+
     def flush_mailbox(self):
         for filename in os.listdir(self.tmp_dir):
             os.unlink(os.path.join(self.tmp_dir, filename))
@@ -1209,6 +1217,12 @@ class FileBackendTests(BaseEmailBackendTests, SimpleTestCase):
         connection.close()
 
 
+class FileBackendPathLibTests(FileBackendTests):
+    def mkdtemp(self):
+        tmp_dir = super().mkdtemp()
+        return Path(tmp_dir)
+
+
 class ConsoleBackendTests(BaseEmailBackendTests, SimpleTestCase):
     email_backend = 'django.core.mail.backends.console.EmailBackend'