diff --git a/django/db/backends/sqlite3/base.py b/django/db/backends/sqlite3/base.py
index 1548dbb30743..120c90077c76 100644
--- a/django/db/backends/sqlite3/base.py
+++ b/django/db/backends/sqlite3/base.py
@@ -7,10 +7,11 @@
 import warnings
 from collections.abc import Mapping
 from itertools import chain, tee
+from pathlib import Path
 from sqlite3 import dbapi2 as Database
 
 from django.core.exceptions import ImproperlyConfigured
-from django.db import IntegrityError
+from django.db import IntegrityError, InterfaceError
 from django.db.backends.base.base import BaseDatabaseWrapper
 from django.utils.asyncio import async_unsafe
 from django.utils.dateparse import parse_date, parse_datetime, parse_time
@@ -202,6 +203,11 @@ def get_database_version(self):
 
     @async_unsafe
     def get_new_connection(self, conn_params):
+        if not self.is_in_memory_db():
+            try:
+                Path(conn_params["database"]).parent.mkdir(exist_ok=True, parents=True)
+            except OSError as e:
+                raise InterfaceError(f"Error creating path to SQLite database: {e}.")
         conn = Database.connect(**conn_params)
         register_functions(conn)
 
diff --git a/tests/backends/sqlite/tests.py b/tests/backends/sqlite/tests.py
index f47e96be4e34..9f7e7b7c9b93 100644
--- a/tests/backends/sqlite/tests.py
+++ b/tests/backends/sqlite/tests.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 from django.core.exceptions import ImproperlyConfigured
 from django.db import (
     DEFAULT_DB_ALIAS,
+    InterfaceError,
     NotSupportedError,
     connection,
     connections,
@@ -144,6 +145,74 @@ def test_init_command(self):
         finally:
             connections["default"]._close()
 
+    def test_nested_path_name(self):
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmp:
+            settings_dict = {
+                "default": {
+                    "ENGINE": "django.db.backends.sqlite3",
+                    "NAME": Path(tmp) / "subdir" / "subsubdir" / "test.db",
+                },
+            }
+            connections = ConnectionHandler(settings_dict)
+            connections["default"].ensure_connection()
+            connections["default"].close()
+            self.assertTrue(
+                os.path.isfile(os.path.join(tmp, "subdir", "subsubdir", "test.db"))
+            )
+
+    def test_nested_str_path_name(self):
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmp:
+            settings_dict = {
+                "default": {
+                    "ENGINE": "django.db.backends.sqlite3",
+                    "NAME": os.path.join(tmp, "subdir", "test.db"),
+                },
+            }
+            connections = ConnectionHandler(settings_dict)
+            connections["default"].ensure_connection()
+            connections["default"].close()
+            self.assertTrue(os.path.isfile(os.path.join(tmp, "subdir", "test.db")))
+
+    def test_database_name_with_file_in_path_not_allowed(self):
+        tests = ("subdir/test.db", "subdir/subsubdir/test.db")
+        for db_path in tests:
+            with self.subTest(db_path):
+                with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmp:
+                    settings_dict = {
+                        "default": {
+                            "ENGINE": "django.db.backends.sqlite3",
+                            "NAME": Path(tmp) / db_path,
+                        },
+                    }
+                    # write a file to the parent path
+                    (Path(tmp) / "subdir").write_text("test")
+                    connections = ConnectionHandler(settings_dict)
+                    with self.assertRaisesMessage(
+                        InterfaceError,
+                        "Error creating path to SQLite database",
+                    ):
+                        connections["default"].ensure_connection()
+
+    @mock.patch(
+        "django.db.backends.sqlite3.base.Path.mkdir",
+        side_effect=OSError(1, "A mock error"),
+    )
+    def test_make_parent_path_oserror(self, mock_oserror):
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmp:
+            settings_dict = {
+                "default": {
+                    "ENGINE": "django.db.backends.sqlite3",
+                    "NAME": Path(tmp) / "db" / "test.db",
+                },
+            }
+
+            connections = ConnectionHandler(settings_dict)
+            with self.assertRaisesMessage(
+                InterfaceError,
+                "Error creating path to SQLite database: [Errno 1] A mock error",
+            ):
+                connections["default"].ensure_connection()
+
 
 @unittest.skipUnless(connection.vendor == "sqlite", "SQLite tests")
 @isolate_apps("backends")