diff --git a/app/services/emails/base_service.rb b/app/services/emails/base_service.rb
index ba7b689a9af..988215ffc78 100644
--- a/app/services/emails/base_service.rb
+++ b/app/services/emails/base_service.rb
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 module Emails
   class BaseService
+    attr_reader :current_user
+
     def initialize(current_user, params = {})
       @current_user, @params = current_user, params.dup
       @user = params.delete(:user)
diff --git a/app/services/emails/create_service.rb b/app/services/emails/create_service.rb
index acf575e24e5..56925a724fe 100644
--- a/app/services/emails/create_service.rb
+++ b/app/services/emails/create_service.rb
@@ -3,7 +3,12 @@
 module Emails
   class CreateService < ::Emails::BaseService
     def execute(extra_params = {})
-      @user.emails.create(@params.merge(extra_params))
+      skip_confirmation = @params.delete(:skip_confirmation)
+
+      email = @user.emails.create(@params.merge(extra_params))
+
+      email&.confirm if skip_confirmation && current_user.admin?
+      email
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/sh-support-adding-confirmed-emails.yml b/changelogs/unreleased/sh-support-adding-confirmed-emails.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1b64a1c62dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/sh-support-adding-confirmed-emails.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Add ability to skip user email confirmation with API
+merge_request: 21630
+author:
+type: added
diff --git a/doc/api/users.md b/doc/api/users.md
index a8858468cab..51935280401 100644
--- a/doc/api/users.md
+++ b/doc/api/users.md
@@ -972,6 +972,7 @@ Parameters:
 
 - `id` (required)    - id of specified user
 - `email` (required) - email address
+- `skip_confirmation` (optional) - Skip confirmation and assume e-mail is verified - true or false (default)
 
 ## Delete email for current user
 
diff --git a/lib/api/users.rb b/lib/api/users.rb
index b0811bb4aad..a4ae597e252 100644
--- a/lib/api/users.rb
+++ b/lib/api/users.rb
@@ -361,6 +361,7 @@ module API
       params do
         requires :id, type: Integer, desc: 'The ID of the user'
         requires :email, type: String, desc: 'The email of the user'
+        optional :skip_confirmation, type: Boolean, desc: 'Skip confirmation of email and assume it is verified'
       end
       post ":id/emails" do
         authenticated_as_admin!
diff --git a/spec/requests/api/users_spec.rb b/spec/requests/api/users_spec.rb
index d48d577afa1..b7d62df0663 100644
--- a/spec/requests/api/users_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/api/users_spec.rb
@@ -1031,11 +1031,14 @@ describe API::Users do
       expect(json_response['error']).to eq('email is missing')
     end
 
-    it "creates email" do
+    it "creates unverified email" do
       email_attrs = attributes_for :email
       expect do
         post api("/users/#{user.id}/emails", admin), email_attrs
       end.to change { user.emails.count }.by(1)
+
+      email = Email.find_by(user_id: user.id, email: email_attrs[:email])
+      expect(email).not_to be_confirmed
     end
 
     it "returns a 400 for invalid ID" do
@@ -1043,6 +1046,18 @@ describe API::Users do
 
       expect(response).to have_gitlab_http_status(400)
     end
+
+    it "creates verified email" do
+      email_attrs = attributes_for :email
+      email_attrs[:skip_confirmation] = true
+
+      post api("/users/#{user.id}/emails", admin), email_attrs
+
+      expect(response).to have_gitlab_http_status(201)
+
+      email = Email.find_by(user_id: user.id, email: email_attrs[:email])
+      expect(email).to be_confirmed
+    end
   end
 
   describe 'GET /user/:id/emails' do