diff --git a/src/main/java/com/commercetools/sync/customers/helpers/CustomerBatchValidator.java b/src/main/java/com/commercetools/sync/customers/helpers/CustomerBatchValidator.java
index 66da8cb15b..042379ad46 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/commercetools/sync/customers/helpers/CustomerBatchValidator.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/commercetools/sync/customers/helpers/CustomerBatchValidator.java
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 import static org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils.isBlank;
 
 import com.commercetools.api.models.common.BaseAddress;
+import com.commercetools.api.models.customer.AuthenticationMode;
 import com.commercetools.api.models.customer.CustomerDraft;
 import com.commercetools.sync.commons.helpers.BaseBatchValidator;
 import com.commercetools.sync.customers.CustomerSyncOptions;
@@ -107,7 +108,8 @@ private boolean isValidCustomerDraft(@Nullable final CustomerDraft customerDraft
       handleError(format(CUSTOMER_DRAFT_KEY_NOT_SET, customerDraft.getEmail()));
     } else if (isBlank(customerDraft.getEmail())) {
       handleError(format(CUSTOMER_DRAFT_EMAIL_NOT_SET, customerDraft.getKey()));
-    } else if (isBlank(customerDraft.getPassword())) {
+    } else if (isBlank(customerDraft.getPassword())
+        && customerDraft.getAuthenticationMode() != AuthenticationMode.EXTERNAL_AUTH) {
       handleError(format(CUSTOMER_DRAFT_PASSWORD_NOT_SET, customerDraft.getKey()));
     } else if (hasValidAddresses(customerDraft)) {
       return hasValidBillingAndShippingAddresses(customerDraft);
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/commercetools/sync/customers/utils/CustomerReferenceResolutionUtils.java b/src/main/java/com/commercetools/sync/customers/utils/CustomerReferenceResolutionUtils.java
index 29d8183aec..18305b022e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/commercetools/sync/customers/utils/CustomerReferenceResolutionUtils.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/commercetools/sync/customers/utils/CustomerReferenceResolutionUtils.java
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ private static CustomerDraft mapToCustomerDraft(
     return CustomerDraftBuilder.of()
         .email(customer.getEmail())
         .password(customer.getPassword())
+        .authenticationMode(customer.getAuthenticationMode())
         .customerNumber(customer.getCustomerNumber())
         .key(customer.getKey())
         .firstName(customer.getFirstName())
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/commercetools/sync/customers/helpers/CustomerBatchValidatorTest.java b/src/test/java/com/commercetools/sync/customers/helpers/CustomerBatchValidatorTest.java
index 05efa368e7..919207b079 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/commercetools/sync/customers/helpers/CustomerBatchValidatorTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/commercetools/sync/customers/helpers/CustomerBatchValidatorTest.java
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 import com.commercetools.api.client.ProjectApiRoot;
 import com.commercetools.api.models.common.AddressDraftBuilder;
 import com.commercetools.api.models.common.BaseAddress;
+import com.commercetools.api.models.customer.AuthenticationMode;
 import com.commercetools.api.models.customer.CustomerDraft;
 import com.commercetools.api.models.customer.CustomerDraftBuilder;
 import com.commercetools.api.models.customer_group.CustomerGroupResourceIdentifierBuilder;
@@ -161,6 +162,23 @@ void validateAndCollectReferencedKeys_WithEmptyDraft_ShouldHaveEmptyResult() {
     assertThat(validDrafts).isEmpty();
   }
 
+  @Test
+  void
+      validateAndCollectReferencedKeys_WithCustomerDraftWithEmptyPasswordAndExternalAuth_ShouldBeValid() {
+    final CustomerDraft customerDraft =
+        CustomerDraftBuilder.of()
+            .email("email")
+            .password(EMPTY)
+            .authenticationMode(AuthenticationMode.EXTERNAL_AUTH)
+            .key("key")
+            .build();
+
+    final Set<CustomerDraft> validDrafts = getValidDrafts(singletonList(customerDraft));
+
+    assertThat(errorCallBackMessages).hasSize(0);
+    assertThat(validDrafts).containsExactly(customerDraft);
+  }
+
   @Test
   void validateAndCollectReferencedKeys_WithNullAddressList_ShouldNotHaveValidationError() {
     final CustomerDraft customerDraft =