diff --git a/plugins/providers/virtualbox/action/network.rb b/plugins/providers/virtualbox/action/network.rb
index af9e0a5c7..8f8e163c1 100644
--- a/plugins/providers/virtualbox/action/network.rb
+++ b/plugins/providers/virtualbox/action/network.rb
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ module VagrantPlugins
             available_slots.delete(slot)
           end
 
+          default_nic_type = env[:machine].provider_config.default_nic_type
+
           @logger.debug("Available slots for high-level adapters: #{available_slots.inspect}")
           @logger.info("Determining network adapters required for high-level configuration...")
           available_slots = available_slots.to_a.sort
@@ -44,6 +46,11 @@ module VagrantPlugins
             # We only handle private and public networks
             next if type != :private_network && type != :public_network
 
+            if default_nic_type && !options.key?(:nic_type) && !options.key?(:virtualbox__nic_type)
+              @logger.info("Setting default nic type (`#{default_nic_type}`) for `#{type}` - `#{options}`")
+              options[:virtualbox__nic_type] = default_nic_type
+            end
+
             options = scoped_hash_override(options, :virtualbox)
 
             # Figure out the slot that this adapter will go into
@@ -403,15 +410,16 @@ module VagrantPlugins
         end
 
         def nat_config(options)
-          return {
+          return options.merge(
             auto_config: false
-          }
+          )
         end
 
         def nat_adapter(config)
           return {
             adapter: config[:adapter],
             type:    :nat,
+            nic_type: config[:nic_type],
           }
         end
 
diff --git a/plugins/providers/virtualbox/config.rb b/plugins/providers/virtualbox/config.rb
index d549606ec..f64b208d6 100644
--- a/plugins/providers/virtualbox/config.rb
+++ b/plugins/providers/virtualbox/config.rb
@@ -19,6 +19,13 @@ module VagrantPlugins
       # @return [Array]
       attr_reader :customizations
 
+      # Set the default type of NIC hardware to be used for network
+      # devices. By default this is "virtio". If it is set to `nil`
+      # no type will be set and VirtualBox's default will be used.
+      #
+      # @return [String]
+      attr_accessor :default_nic_type
+
       # If true, unused network interfaces will automatically be deleted.
       # This defaults to false because the detection does not work across
       # multiple users, and because on Windows this operation requires
@@ -68,6 +75,7 @@ module VagrantPlugins
         @auto_nat_dns_proxy = UNSET_VALUE
         @check_guest_additions = UNSET_VALUE
         @customizations   = []
+        @default_nic_type = UNSET_VALUE
         @destroy_unused_network_interfaces = UNSET_VALUE
         @functional_vboxsf = UNSET_VALUE
         @name             = UNSET_VALUE
@@ -158,6 +166,9 @@ module VagrantPlugins
 
         # The default name is just nothing, and we default it
         @name = nil if @name == UNSET_VALUE
+
+        @default_nic_type = "virtio" if @default_nic_type == UNSET_VALUE
+        set_default_nic_type! if @default_nic_type
       end
 
       def validate(machine)
@@ -190,6 +201,15 @@ module VagrantPlugins
         { "VirtualBox Provider" => errors }
       end
 
+      def set_default_nic_type!
+        network_adapters.each do |_, args|
+          _, opts = args
+          if opts && !opts.key?(:nic_type)
+            opts[:nic_type] = @default_nic_type
+          end
+        end
+      end
+
       def to_s
         "VirtualBox"
       end
diff --git a/test/unit/plugins/providers/virtualbox/action/network_test.rb b/test/unit/plugins/providers/virtualbox/action/network_test.rb
index 34ed17d94..1e6bc7c88 100644
--- a/test/unit/plugins/providers/virtualbox/action/network_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/plugins/providers/virtualbox/action/network_test.rb
@@ -84,6 +84,42 @@ describe VagrantPlugins::ProviderVirtualBox::Action::Network do
     expect{ subject.call(env) }.not_to raise_error(Vagrant::Errors::NetworkAddressInvalid)
   end
 
+  describe "setting nic type" do
+    before do
+      guest = double("guest")
+      allow(driver).to receive(:read_bridged_interfaces) { [] }
+      allow(driver).to receive(:read_host_only_interfaces) { [] }
+      allow(driver).to receive(:create_host_only_network) { {} }
+      allow(driver).to receive(:read_dhcp_servers) { [] }
+      allow(driver).to receive(:create_dhcp_server)
+      allow(machine).to receive(:guest) { guest }
+      allow(guest).to receive(:capability)
+    end
+
+    it "sets default nic type when unset" do
+      machine.config.vm.network 'private_network', { type: 'dhcp' }
+      subject.call(env)
+      _, net_config = machine.config.vm.networks.detect { |type, _| type == :private_network }
+      expect(net_config[:virtualbox__nic_type]).to eq("virtio")
+    end
+
+    it "does not set nic type when already set" do
+      machine.config.vm.network 'private_network', { type: 'dhcp', nic_type: "custom" }
+      subject.call(env)
+      _, net_config = machine.config.vm.networks.detect { |type, _| type == :private_network }
+      expect(net_config[:nic_type]).to eq("custom")
+      expect(net_config[:virtualbox__nic_type]).to be_nil
+    end
+
+    it "does not set nic type when namespaced option is set" do
+      machine.config.vm.network 'private_network', { type: 'dhcp', virtualbox__nic_type: "custom" }
+      subject.call(env)
+      _, net_config = machine.config.vm.networks.detect { |type, _| type == :private_network }
+      expect(net_config[:nic_type]).to be_nil
+      expect(net_config[:virtualbox__nic_type]).to eq("custom")
+    end
+  end
+
   context "with a dhcp private network" do
     let(:bridgedifs)  { [] }
     let(:hostonlyifs) { [] }
@@ -118,7 +154,7 @@ describe VagrantPlugins::ProviderVirtualBox::Action::Network do
         mac: nil,
         name: nil,
         netmask: "255.255.255.0",
-        nic_type: nil,
+        nic_type: "virtio",
         type: :dhcp,
         dhcp_ip: "172.28.128.2",
         dhcp_lower: "172.28.128.3",
diff --git a/test/unit/plugins/providers/virtualbox/config_test.rb b/test/unit/plugins/providers/virtualbox/config_test.rb
index 1b125cb42..1355c4e9b 100644
--- a/test/unit/plugins/providers/virtualbox/config_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/plugins/providers/virtualbox/config_test.rb
@@ -43,14 +43,42 @@ describe VagrantPlugins::ProviderVirtualBox::Config do
     it { expect(subject.gui).to be(false) }
     it { expect(subject.name).to be_nil }
     it { expect(subject.functional_vboxsf).to be(true) }
+    it { expect(subject.default_nic_type).to eq("virtio") }
 
     it "should have one NAT adapter" do
       expect(subject.network_adapters).to eql({
-        1 => [:nat, {}],
+        1 => [:nat, {nic_type: "virtio"}],
       })
     end
   end
 
+  describe "#default_nic_type" do
+    let(:nic_type) { "custom" }
+
+    before do
+      subject.default_nic_type = nic_type
+      subject.finalize!
+    end
+
+    it { expect(subject.default_nic_type).to eq(nic_type) }
+
+    it "should set NAT adapter nic type" do
+      expect(subject.network_adapters.values.first.last[:nic_type]).
+        to eq(nic_type)
+    end
+
+    context "when set to nil" do
+      let(:nic_type) { nil }
+
+      it { expect(subject.default_nic_type).to be_nil }
+
+      it "should not set NAT adapter nic type" do
+        expect(subject.network_adapters.values.first.last[:nic_type]).
+          to be_nil
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
   describe "#merge" do
     let(:one) { described_class.new }
     let(:two) { described_class.new }
diff --git a/website/source/docs/virtualbox/configuration.html.md b/website/source/docs/virtualbox/configuration.html.md
index a2d27d68f..a4aaf9a3b 100644
--- a/website/source/docs/virtualbox/configuration.html.md
+++ b/website/source/docs/virtualbox/configuration.html.md
@@ -41,6 +41,27 @@ config.vm.provider "virtualbox" do |v|
 end
 ```
 
+## Default NIC Type
+
+By default Vagrant will set the NIC type for all network interfaces to
+`"virtio"`. If you would rather a different NIC type be used as the
+default for guests:
+
+```ruby
+config.vm.provider "virtualbox" do |v|
+  v.default_nic_type = "82543GC"
+end
+```
+
+or if you would like to disable the default type so VirtualBox's default
+is applied you can set the value to `nil`:
+
+```ruby
+config.vm.provider "virtualbox" do |v|
+  v.default_nic_type = nil
+end
+```
+
 ## Linked Clones
 
 By default new machines are created by importing the base box. For large