diff --git a/parquet/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/parquet/TypeWithSchemaVisitor.java b/parquet/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/parquet/TypeWithSchemaVisitor.java
index 4ab454829765..c5268bf51a26 100644
--- a/parquet/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/parquet/TypeWithSchemaVisitor.java
+++ b/parquet/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/parquet/TypeWithSchemaVisitor.java
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ public static <T> T visit(
       } else if (annotation instanceof LogicalTypeAnnotation.VariantLogicalTypeAnnotation
           || (iType != null && iType.isVariantType())) {
         // when Parquet has a VARIANT logical type, use it here
-        return visitVariant(iType.asVariantType(), group, visitor);
+        return visitVariant(iType != null ? iType.asVariantType() : null, group, visitor);
       }
 
       Types.StructType struct = iType != null ? iType.asStructType() : null;
diff --git a/parquet/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/parquet/TestPruneColumns.java b/parquet/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/parquet/TestPruneColumns.java
index 70345adf1b8b..619b2c5a3470 100644
--- a/parquet/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/parquet/TestPruneColumns.java
+++ b/parquet/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/parquet/TestPruneColumns.java
@@ -21,12 +21,16 @@
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
 
 import org.apache.iceberg.Schema;
+import org.apache.iceberg.relocated.com.google.common.collect.ImmutableList;
 import org.apache.iceberg.types.Types.DoubleType;
+import org.apache.iceberg.types.Types.IntegerType;
 import org.apache.iceberg.types.Types.ListType;
 import org.apache.iceberg.types.Types.MapType;
 import org.apache.iceberg.types.Types.NestedField;
 import org.apache.iceberg.types.Types.StringType;
 import org.apache.iceberg.types.Types.StructType;
+import org.apache.iceberg.types.Types.VariantType;
+import org.apache.iceberg.variants.Variant;
 import org.apache.parquet.schema.LogicalTypeAnnotation;
 import org.apache.parquet.schema.MessageType;
 import org.apache.parquet.schema.PrimitiveType.PrimitiveTypeName;
@@ -270,4 +274,45 @@ public void testStructElementName() {
     MessageType actual = ParquetSchemaUtil.pruneColumns(fileSchema, projection);
     assertThat(actual).as("Pruned schema should be matched").isEqualTo(expected);
   }
+
+  @Test
+  public void testVariant() {
+    MessageType fileSchema =
+        Types.buildMessage()
+            .addField(
+                Types.primitive(PrimitiveTypeName.INT32, Type.Repetition.REQUIRED)
+                    .id(1)
+                    .named("id"))
+            .addField(buildVariantType(2, "variant_1"))
+            .addField(buildVariantType(3, "variant_2"))
+            .named("table");
+
+    Schema projection =
+        new Schema(
+            ImmutableList.of(
+                NestedField.required(1, "id", IntegerType.get()),
+                NestedField.required(2, "variant_1", VariantType.get())));
+    MessageType expected =
+        Types.buildMessage()
+            .addField(
+                Types.primitive(PrimitiveTypeName.INT32, Type.Repetition.REQUIRED)
+                    .id(1)
+                    .named("id"))
+            .addField(buildVariantType(2, "variant_1"))
+            .named("table");
+
+    MessageType actual = ParquetSchemaUtil.pruneColumns(fileSchema, projection);
+    assertThat(actual).as("Pruned schema should be matched").isEqualTo(expected);
+  }
+
+  private static Type buildVariantType(int id, String name) {
+    return Types.buildGroup(Type.Repetition.OPTIONAL)
+        .as(LogicalTypeAnnotation.variantType(Variant.VARIANT_SPEC_VERSION))
+        .addField(
+            Types.primitive(PrimitiveTypeName.BINARY, Type.Repetition.REQUIRED).named("metadata"))
+        .addField(
+            Types.primitive(PrimitiveTypeName.BINARY, Type.Repetition.REQUIRED).named("value"))
+        .id(id)
+        .named(name);
+  }
 }