diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 452a0fcfe..123d48029 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ This change log adheres to standards from [Keep a CHANGELOG](http://keepachangel
 - [`prefer-default-export`]: handle empty array destructuring ([#1965], thanks [@ljharb])
 - [`no-unused-modules`]: make type imports mark a module as used (fixes #1924) ([#1974], thanks [@cherryblossom000])
 - [`no-cycle`]: fix perf regression ([#1944], thanks [@Blasz])
+- [`first`]: fix handling of `import = require` ([#1963], thanks [@MatthiasKunnen])
 
 ### Changed
 - [Generic Import Callback] Make callback for all imports once in rules ([#1237], thanks [@ljqx])
@@ -1307,4 +1308,5 @@ for info on changes for earlier releases.
 [@fa93hws]: https://github.com/fa93hws
 [@Librazy]: https://github.com/Librazy
 [@swernerx]: https://github.com/swernerx
-[@fsmaia]: https://github.com/fsmaia
\ No newline at end of file
+[@fsmaia]: https://github.com/fsmaia
+[@MatthiasKunnen]: https://github.com/MatthiasKunnen
diff --git a/src/rules/first.js b/src/rules/first.js
index 4d909bea3..a3b7f24e0 100644
--- a/src/rules/first.js
+++ b/src/rules/first.js
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 import docsUrl from '../docsUrl';
 
+function getImportValue(node) {
+  return node.type === 'ImportDeclaration'
+    ? node.source.value
+    : node.moduleReference.expression.value;
+}
+
 module.exports = {
   meta: {
     type: 'suggestion',
@@ -43,13 +49,13 @@ module.exports = {
 
           anyExpressions = true;
 
-          if (node.type === 'ImportDeclaration') {
+          if (node.type === 'ImportDeclaration' || node.type === 'TSImportEqualsDeclaration') {
             if (absoluteFirst) {
-              if (/^\./.test(node.source.value)) {
+              if (/^\./.test(getImportValue(node))) {
                 anyRelative = true;
               } else if (anyRelative) {
                 context.report({
-                  node: node.source,
+                  node: node.type === 'ImportDeclaration' ? node.source : node.moduleReference,
                   message: 'Absolute imports should come before relative imports.',
                 });
               }
diff --git a/tests/src/rules/first.js b/tests/src/rules/first.js
index e8b40eb98..3f7301319 100644
--- a/tests/src/rules/first.js
+++ b/tests/src/rules/first.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { test } from '../utils';
+import { test, getTSParsers } from '../utils';
 
 import { RuleTester } from 'eslint';
 
@@ -66,3 +66,51 @@ ruleTester.run('first', rule, {
     }),  
   ],
 });
+
+context('TypeScript', function () {
+  getTSParsers()
+    .filter((parser) => parser !== require.resolve('typescript-eslint-parser'))
+    .forEach((parser) => {
+      const parserConfig = {
+        parser: parser,
+        settings: {
+          'import/parsers': { [parser]: ['.ts'] },
+          'import/resolver': { 'eslint-import-resolver-typescript': true },
+        },
+      };
+
+      ruleTester.run('order', rule, {
+        valid: [
+          test(
+            {
+              code: `
+                import y = require('bar');
+                import { x } from 'foo';
+                import z = require('baz');
+              `,
+              parser,
+            },
+            parserConfig,
+          ),
+        ],
+        invalid: [
+          test(
+            {
+              code: `
+                import { x } from './foo';
+                import y = require('bar');
+              `,
+              options: ['absolute-first'],
+              parser,
+              errors: [
+                {
+                  message: 'Absolute imports should come before relative imports.',
+                },
+              ],
+            },
+            parserConfig,
+          ),
+        ],
+      });
+    });
+});