diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 14e0c146..ed708d2e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -420,6 +420,7 @@ This allows you to check if an element is currently visible to the user.
 
 An element is visible if **all** the following conditions are met:
 
+- it is present in the document
 - it does not have its css property `display` set to `none`
 - it does not have its css property `visibility` set to either `hidden` or
   `collapse`
diff --git a/src/__tests__/to-be-visible.js b/src/__tests__/to-be-visible.js
index a715e2b9..f2b4277a 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/to-be-visible.js
+++ b/src/__tests__/to-be-visible.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import {render} from './helpers/test-utils'
+import document from './helpers/document'
 
 describe('.toBeVisible', () => {
   it('returns the visibility of an element', () => {
@@ -35,6 +36,12 @@ describe('.toBeVisible', () => {
     ).toThrowError()
   })
 
+  test('detached element is not visible', () => {
+    const subject = document.createElement('div')
+    expect(subject).not.toBeVisible()
+    expect(() => expect(subject).toBeVisible()).toThrowError()
+  })
+
   describe('with a <details /> element', () => {
     let subject
 
diff --git a/src/to-be-visible.js b/src/to-be-visible.js
index 8837105e..518b7d56 100644
--- a/src/to-be-visible.js
+++ b/src/to-be-visible.js
@@ -32,7 +32,9 @@ function isElementVisible(element, previousElement) {
 
 export function toBeVisible(element) {
   checkHtmlElement(element, toBeVisible, this)
-  const isVisible = isElementVisible(element)
+  const isInDocument =
+    element.ownerDocument === element.getRootNode({composed: true})
+  const isVisible = isInDocument && isElementVisible(element)
   return {
     pass: isVisible,
     message: () => {
@@ -44,7 +46,9 @@ export function toBeVisible(element) {
           '',
         ),
         '',
-        `Received element ${is} visible:`,
+        `Received element ${is} visible${
+          isInDocument ? '' : ' (element is not in the document)'
+        }:`,
         `  ${this.utils.printReceived(element.cloneNode(false))}`,
       ].join('\n')
     },