diff --git a/src/libs/actions/Policy/Category.ts b/src/libs/actions/Policy/Category.ts
index 31d9dbe58337..4455d2ab6087 100644
--- a/src/libs/actions/Policy/Category.ts
+++ b/src/libs/actions/Policy/Category.ts
@@ -870,6 +870,24 @@ function createPolicyCategory({
     API.write(WRITE_COMMANDS.CREATE_WORKSPACE_CATEGORIES, parameters, onyxData);
 }
 
+/**
+ * Creates multiple enabled workspace categories at once. Used by flows (such as the merchant rule
+ * spreadsheet import) that reference categories which may not yet exist on the policy, so a
+ * referenced category is added to the workspace instead of being silently dropped.
+ */
+function createPolicyCategories(policyID: string, categoryNames: string[]) {
+    if (categoryNames.length === 0) {
+        return;
+    }
+    const onyxData = buildOptimisticPolicyCategories(policyID, categoryNames);
+    const parameters = {
+        policyID,
+        categories: JSON.stringify(categoryNames.map((name) => ({name}))),
+    };
+
+    API.write(WRITE_COMMANDS.CREATE_WORKSPACE_CATEGORIES, parameters, onyxData);
+}
+
 async function importPolicyCategories(policyID: string, categories: PolicyCategory[], existingCategories?: OnyxEntry<PolicyCategories>): Promise<ImportFinalModal> {
     const policyCategories = existingCategories ?? {};
     const seenNames = new Set<string>();
@@ -1904,6 +1922,7 @@ export {
     isDefaultMccGroupID,
     clearCategoryErrors,
     createPolicyCategory,
+    createPolicyCategories,
     deleteWorkspaceCategories,
     downloadCategoriesCSV,
     enablePolicyCategories,
diff --git a/src/libs/actions/Policy/Rules.ts b/src/libs/actions/Policy/Rules.ts
index 7dde67ddfb7f..3e9d5056e3fc 100644
--- a/src/libs/actions/Policy/Rules.ts
+++ b/src/libs/actions/Policy/Rules.ts
@@ -15,12 +15,15 @@ import type {MerchantRuleForm} from '@src/types/form';
 import type {ImportFinalModal} from '@src/types/onyx/ImportedSpreadsheet';
 import type Policy from '@src/types/onyx/Policy';
 import type {AgentRule, CodingRule, CodingRuleFilter, CodingRuleTax} from '@src/types/onyx/Policy';
+import type {PolicyCategories} from '@src/types/onyx/PolicyCategory';
 import type {OnyxData} from '@src/types/onyx/Request';
 
-import type {OnyxUpdate} from 'react-native-onyx';
+import type {OnyxEntry, OnyxUpdate} from 'react-native-onyx';
 
 import Onyx from 'react-native-onyx';
 
+import {createPolicyCategories} from './Category';
+
 /** A coding rule parsed from an imported spreadsheet row, keyed by a client-generated ruleID */
 type ImportedMerchantRule = Omit<CodingRule, 'ruleID' | 'pendingAction' | 'errors'>;
 
@@ -240,13 +243,25 @@ function setPolicyCodingRule(policyID: string, form: MerchantRuleForm, policy: P
  * Imports coding rules parsed from a spreadsheet into the given policy in bulk
  * @param policyID - The ID of the policy to import the rules into
  * @param rules - Coding rule values keyed by client-generated ruleID
+ * @param policyCategories - The policy's existing categories, used to auto-create any imported category that doesn't exist yet
  */
-async function importMerchantRulesSpreadsheet(policyID: string, rules: Record<string, ImportedMerchantRule>): Promise<ImportFinalModal> {
+async function importMerchantRulesSpreadsheet(policyID: string, rules: Record<string, ImportedMerchantRule>, policyCategories: OnyxEntry<PolicyCategories>): Promise<ImportFinalModal> {
     // The API rejects an empty rules object, so fail fast when the spreadsheet produced no importable rules
     if (Object.keys(rules).length === 0) {
         return getImportFailedFinalModal();
     }
 
+    // A rule only applies its category to matching expenses if that category exists on the policy, so auto-create any
+    // imported category that isn't already in the workspace instead of silently dropping it.
+    const missingCategories = [
+        ...new Set(
+            Object.values(rules)
+                .map((rule) => rule.category?.trim())
+                .filter((category): category is string => !!category && !policyCategories?.[category]),
+        ),
+    ];
+    createPolicyCategories(policyID, missingCategories);
+
     const importFinalModal: ImportFinalModal = {
         titleKey: 'spreadsheet.importSuccessfulTitle',
         promptKey: 'spreadsheet.importMerchantRulesSuccessfulDescription',
diff --git a/src/pages/workspace/rules/MerchantRules/ImportedMerchantRulesPage.tsx b/src/pages/workspace/rules/MerchantRules/ImportedMerchantRulesPage.tsx
index ef39b9e92432..b23dcb25a926 100644
--- a/src/pages/workspace/rules/MerchantRules/ImportedMerchantRulesPage.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/workspace/rules/MerchantRules/ImportedMerchantRulesPage.tsx
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ type ImportedMerchantRulesPageProps = PlatformStackScreenProps<SettingsNavigator
 function ImportedMerchantRulesPage({route}: ImportedMerchantRulesPageProps) {
     const {translate} = useLocalize();
     const [spreadsheet, spreadsheetMetadata] = useOnyx(ONYXKEYS.IMPORTED_SPREADSHEET);
+    const [policyCategories] = useOnyx(`${ONYXKEYS.COLLECTION.POLICY_CATEGORIES}${route.params.policyID}`);
     const [isImportingRules, setIsImportingRules] = useState(false);
     const {containsHeader = true} = spreadsheet ?? {};
     const [isValidationEnabled, setIsValidationEnabled] = useState(false);
@@ -213,7 +214,7 @@ function ImportedMerchantRulesPage({route}: ImportedMerchantRulesPageProps) {
         const importFinalModal: ImportFinalModal =
             Object.keys(rules).length === 0 && skippedDuplicateCount > 0
                 ? {titleKey: 'spreadsheet.importSuccessfulTitle', promptKey: 'spreadsheet.importMerchantRulesSuccessfulDescription', promptKeyParams: {rules: 0}}
-                : await importMerchantRulesSpreadsheet(policyID, rules);
+                : await importMerchantRulesSpreadsheet(policyID, rules, policyCategories);
         const didShowImportFinalModal = await showImportSpreadsheetConfirmModal(importFinalModal, {shouldHandleNavigationBack: false});
         if (!didShowImportFinalModal) {
             setIsImportingRules(false);