diff --git a/src/material/tabs/_tabs-common.scss b/src/material/tabs/_tabs-common.scss
index f22b4580eca2..15c36eb4326e 100644
--- a/src/material/tabs/_tabs-common.scss
+++ b/src/material/tabs/_tabs-common.scss
@@ -217,6 +217,10 @@ $mat-tab-animation-duration: 500ms !default;
       tokens-mat-tab-header.$prefix, tokens-mat-tab-header.get-unthemable-tokens());
   }
 
+  .mdc-tab-indicator .mdc-tab-indicator__content {
+    transition-duration: var(--mat-tab-animation-duration, 250ms);
+  }
+
   .mat-mdc-tab-header-pagination {
     @include vendor-prefixes.user-select(none);
     position: relative;
diff --git a/src/material/tabs/tab-group.spec.ts b/src/material/tabs/tab-group.spec.ts
index 371232caf531..0b092d81f4b7 100644
--- a/src/material/tabs/tab-group.spec.ts
+++ b/src/material/tabs/tab-group.spec.ts
@@ -999,6 +999,15 @@ describe('nested MatTabGroup with enabled animations', () => {
       tick();
     }).not.toThrow();
   }));
+
+  it('should set appropiate css variable given a specified animationDuration', fakeAsync(() => {
+    let fixture = TestBed.createComponent(TabsWithCustomAnimationDuration);
+    fixture.detectChanges();
+    tick();
+
+    const tabGroup = fixture.nativeElement.querySelector('.mat-mdc-tab-group');
+    expect(tabGroup.style.getPropertyValue('--mat-tab-animation-duration')).toBe('500ms');
+  }));
 });
 
 describe('MatTabGroup with ink bar fit to content', () => {
diff --git a/src/material/tabs/tab-group.ts b/src/material/tabs/tab-group.ts
index 4157bf08ab14..fc3e775910a1 100644
--- a/src/material/tabs/tab-group.ts
+++ b/src/material/tabs/tab-group.ts
@@ -528,6 +528,7 @@ export abstract class _MatTabGroupBase
     '[class.mat-mdc-tab-group-dynamic-height]': 'dynamicHeight',
     '[class.mat-mdc-tab-group-inverted-header]': 'headerPosition === "below"',
     '[class.mat-mdc-tab-group-stretch-tabs]': 'stretchTabs',
+    '[style.--mat-tab-animation-duration]': 'animationDuration',
   },
 })
 export class MatTabGroup extends _MatTabGroupBase {
diff --git a/src/material/tabs/tab-nav-bar/tab-nav-bar.spec.ts b/src/material/tabs/tab-nav-bar/tab-nav-bar.spec.ts
index 0dbc5dbb894c..d30951ef920f 100644
--- a/src/material/tabs/tab-nav-bar/tab-nav-bar.spec.ts
+++ b/src/material/tabs/tab-nav-bar/tab-nav-bar.spec.ts
@@ -489,6 +489,34 @@ describe('MatTabNavBar with a default config', () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe('MatTabNavBar with enabled animations', () => {
+  beforeEach(fakeAsync(() => {
+    TestBed.configureTestingModule({
+      imports: [MatTabsModule, BrowserAnimationsModule],
+      declarations: [TabsWithCustomAnimationDuration],
+    });
+
+    TestBed.compileComponents();
+  }));
+
+  it('should not throw when setting an animationDuration without units', fakeAsync(() => {
+    expect(() => {
+      let fixture = TestBed.createComponent(TabsWithCustomAnimationDuration);
+      fixture.detectChanges();
+      tick();
+    }).not.toThrow();
+  }));
+
+  it('should set appropiate css variable given a specified animationDuration', fakeAsync(() => {
+    let fixture = TestBed.createComponent(TabsWithCustomAnimationDuration);
+    fixture.detectChanges();
+    tick();
+
+    const tabNavBar = fixture.nativeElement.querySelector('.mat-mdc-tab-nav-bar');
+    expect(tabNavBar.style.getPropertyValue('--mat-tab-animation-duration')).toBe('500ms');
+  }));
+});
+
 @Component({
   selector: 'test-app',
   template: `
@@ -545,3 +573,15 @@ class TabLinkWithNgIf {
 class TabBarWithInactiveTabsOnInit {
   tabs = [0, 1, 2];
 }
+
+@Component({
+  template: `
+    <nav [animationDuration]="500" mat-tab-nav-bar [tabPanel]="tabPanel">
+    <a mat-tab-link *ngFor="let link of links">{{link}}</a>
+  </nav>
+  <mat-tab-nav-panel #tabPanel></mat-tab-nav-panel>,
+  `,
+})
+class TabsWithCustomAnimationDuration {
+  links = ['First', 'Second', 'Third'];
+}
diff --git a/src/material/tabs/tab-nav-bar/tab-nav-bar.ts b/src/material/tabs/tab-nav-bar/tab-nav-bar.ts
index f48df15ea368..6ec9ca681b1e 100644
--- a/src/material/tabs/tab-nav-bar/tab-nav-bar.ts
+++ b/src/material/tabs/tab-nav-bar/tab-nav-bar.ts
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ import {Directionality} from '@angular/cdk/bidi';
 import {ViewportRuler} from '@angular/cdk/scrolling';
 import {Platform} from '@angular/cdk/platform';
 import {MatInkBar, MatInkBarItem, mixinInkBarItem} from '../ink-bar';
-import {BooleanInput, coerceBooleanProperty} from '@angular/cdk/coercion';
+import {BooleanInput, coerceBooleanProperty, NumberInput} from '@angular/cdk/coercion';
 import {BehaviorSubject, Subject} from 'rxjs';
 import {startWith, takeUntil} from 'rxjs/operators';
 import {SPACE} from '@angular/cdk/keycodes';
@@ -319,6 +319,7 @@ const _MatTabLinkBaseWithInkBarItem = mixinInkBarItem(_MatTabLinkBase);
     '[class.mat-accent]': 'color === "accent"',
     '[class.mat-warn]': 'color === "warn"',
     '[class._mat-animation-noopable]': '_animationMode === "NoopAnimations"',
+    '[style.--mat-tab-animation-duration]': 'animationDuration',
   },
   encapsulation: ViewEncapsulation.None,
   // tslint:disable-next-line:validate-decorators
@@ -346,6 +347,17 @@ export class MatTabNav extends _MatTabNavBase implements AfterContentInit, After
   }
   private _stretchTabs = true;
 
+  @Input()
+  get animationDuration(): string {
+    return this._animationDuration;
+  }
+
+  set animationDuration(value: NumberInput) {
+    this._animationDuration = /^\d+$/.test(value + '') ? value + 'ms' : (value as string);
+  }
+
+  private _animationDuration: string;
+
   @ContentChildren(forwardRef(() => MatTabLink), {descendants: true}) _items: QueryList<MatTabLink>;
   @ViewChild('tabListContainer', {static: true}) _tabListContainer: ElementRef;
   @ViewChild('tabList', {static: true}) _tabList: ElementRef;
diff --git a/tools/public_api_guard/material/tabs.md b/tools/public_api_guard/material/tabs.md
index 527854e2cb43..f11a43b522c0 100644
--- a/tools/public_api_guard/material/tabs.md
+++ b/tools/public_api_guard/material/tabs.md
@@ -489,6 +489,9 @@ export class _MatTabLinkBase extends _MatTabLinkMixinBase implements AfterViewIn
 // @public
 export class MatTabNav extends _MatTabNavBase implements AfterContentInit, AfterViewInit {
     constructor(elementRef: ElementRef, dir: Directionality, ngZone: NgZone, changeDetectorRef: ChangeDetectorRef, viewportRuler: ViewportRuler, platform: Platform, animationMode?: string, defaultConfig?: MatTabsConfig);
+    // (undocumented)
+    get animationDuration(): string;
+    set animationDuration(value: NumberInput);
     get fitInkBarToContent(): boolean;
     set fitInkBarToContent(v: BooleanInput);
     // (undocumented)
@@ -514,7 +517,7 @@ export class MatTabNav extends _MatTabNavBase implements AfterContentInit, After
     // (undocumented)
     _tabListInner: ElementRef;
     // (undocumented)
-    static ɵcmp: i0.ɵɵComponentDeclaration<MatTabNav, "[mat-tab-nav-bar]", ["matTabNavBar", "matTabNav"], { "color": { "alias": "color"; "required": false; }; "fitInkBarToContent": { "alias": "fitInkBarToContent"; "required": false; }; "stretchTabs": { "alias": "mat-stretch-tabs"; "required": false; }; }, {}, ["_items"], ["*"], false, never>;
+    static ɵcmp: i0.ɵɵComponentDeclaration<MatTabNav, "[mat-tab-nav-bar]", ["matTabNavBar", "matTabNav"], { "color": { "alias": "color"; "required": false; }; "fitInkBarToContent": { "alias": "fitInkBarToContent"; "required": false; }; "stretchTabs": { "alias": "mat-stretch-tabs"; "required": false; }; "animationDuration": { "alias": "animationDuration"; "required": false; }; }, {}, ["_items"], ["*"], false, never>;
     // (undocumented)
     static ɵfac: i0.ɵɵFactoryDeclaration<MatTabNav, [null, { optional: true; }, null, null, null, null, { optional: true; }, { optional: true; }]>;
 }