diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/debconf_multiselect.yml b/changelogs/fragments/debconf_multiselect.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e826c3d6f31
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/debconf_multiselect.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+---
+bugfixes:
+  - debconf - allow user to specify a list for value when vtype is multiselect (https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/81345).
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/debconf.py b/lib/ansible/modules/debconf.py
index 994bcda1638..779952ec94d 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/debconf.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/debconf.py
@@ -70,12 +70,14 @@ options:
       - The type of the value supplied.
       - It is highly recommended to add C(no_log=True) to task while specifying O(vtype=password).
       - V(seen) was added in Ansible 2.2.
+      - After Ansible 2.17, user can specify C(value) as a list, if C(vtype) is set as V(multiselect).
     type: str
     choices: [ boolean, error, multiselect, note, password, seen, select, string, text, title ]
   value:
     description:
-      -  Value to set the configuration to.
-    type: str
+      - Value to set the configuration to.
+      - After Ansible 2.17, C(value) is of type 'raw'.
+    type: raw
     aliases: [ answer ]
   unseen:
     description:
@@ -123,7 +125,7 @@ EXAMPLES = r'''
 
 RETURN = r'''#'''
 
-from ansible.module_utils.common.text.converters import to_text
+from ansible.module_utils.common.text.converters import to_text, to_native
 from ansible.module_utils.basic import AnsibleModule
 
 
@@ -184,7 +186,7 @@ def main():
             name=dict(type='str', required=True, aliases=['pkg']),
             question=dict(type='str', aliases=['selection', 'setting']),
             vtype=dict(type='str', choices=['boolean', 'error', 'multiselect', 'note', 'password', 'seen', 'select', 'string', 'text', 'title']),
-            value=dict(type='str', aliases=['answer']),
+            value=dict(type='raw', aliases=['answer']),
             unseen=dict(type='bool', default=False),
         ),
         required_together=(['question', 'vtype', 'value'],),
@@ -217,15 +219,25 @@ def main():
             if vtype == 'boolean':
                 value = to_text(value).lower()
                 existing = to_text(prev[question]).lower()
-
-            if vtype == 'password':
+            elif vtype == 'password':
                 existing = get_password_value(module, pkg, question, vtype)
+            elif vtype == 'multiselect' and isinstance(value, list):
+                try:
+                    value = sorted(value)
+                except TypeError as exc:
+                    module.fail_json(msg="Invalid value provided for 'multiselect': %s" % to_native(exc))
+                existing = sorted([i.strip() for i in existing.split(",")])
 
             if value != existing:
                 changed = True
 
     if changed:
         if not module.check_mode:
+            if vtype == 'multiselect' and isinstance(value, list):
+                try:
+                    value = ", ".join(value)
+                except TypeError as exc:
+                    module.fail_json(msg="Invalid value provided for 'multiselect': %s" % to_native(exc))
             rc, msg, e = set_selection(module, pkg, question, vtype, value, unseen)
             if rc:
                 module.fail_json(msg=e)
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/debconf/tasks/main.yml b/test/integration/targets/debconf/tasks/main.yml
index f923626868c..4021349f17d 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/debconf/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/debconf/tasks/main.yml
@@ -66,6 +66,86 @@
       assert:
           that:
               - not debconf_test2.changed
+
+    - name: Multiselect value
+      debconf:
+        name: libnss-ldapd
+        question: libnss-ldapd/nsswitch
+        vtype: multiselect
+        value:
+          - passwd
+          - group
+          - shadow
+      register: debconf_multiselect_test
+
+    - name: validate results for multiselect test
+      assert:
+        that:
+          - debconf_multiselect_test.changed
+
+    - name: Multiselect value again (idempotency)
+      debconf:
+        name: libnss-ldapd
+        question: libnss-ldapd/nsswitch
+        vtype: multiselect
+        value:
+          - passwd
+          - group
+          - shadow
+      register: debconf_multiselect_test_idem
+
+    - name: validate results for multiselect test (idempotency)
+      assert:
+        that:
+          - not debconf_multiselect_test_idem.changed
+
+    - name: Multiselect value to check if ordered value
+      debconf:
+        name: libnss-ldapd
+        question: libnss-ldapd/nsswitch
+        vtype: multiselect
+        value:
+          - group
+          - shadow
+          - passwd
+      register: debconf_multiselect_test_idem_2
+
+    - name: validate results for multiselect test for ordered value
+      assert:
+        that:
+          - not debconf_multiselect_test_idem_2.changed
+
+    - name: Multiselect value to check backward compatibility
+      debconf:
+        name: libnss-ldapd
+        question: libnss-ldapd/nsswitch
+        vtype: multiselect
+        value: group, shadow, passwd
+      register: debconf_multiselect_test_idem_3
+
+    - name: validate results for multiselect test for backward compatibility
+      assert:
+        that:
+          - debconf_multiselect_test_idem_3.changed
+
+    - name: Multiselect value to check if value contains invalid user input
+      debconf:
+        name: libnss-ldapd
+        question: libnss-ldapd/nsswitch
+        vtype: multiselect
+        value:
+          - group
+          - 1
+          - passwd
+      register: debconf_multiselect_test_idem_4
+      ignore_errors: yes
+
+    - name: validate results for multiselect test for invalid value
+      assert:
+        that:
+          - not debconf_multiselect_test_idem_4.changed
+          - '"Invalid value provided" in debconf_multiselect_test_idem_4.msg'
+
   always:
     - name: uninstall debconf-utils
       apt: