diff --git a/parquet/pqarrow/schema.go b/parquet/pqarrow/schema.go
index d2a97559..2a13ea33 100644
--- a/parquet/pqarrow/schema.go
+++ b/parquet/pqarrow/schema.go
@@ -265,13 +265,16 @@ func variantToNode(t *extensions.VariantType, field arrow.Field, props *parquet.
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	if value := t.Value(); value.Type != nil {
-		valueField, err := fieldToNode("value", value, props, arrProps)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-		fields = append(fields, valueField)
+	value := t.Value()
+	if value.Type == nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%w: variant 'value' field is required when writing Parquet", arrow.ErrInvalid)
+	}
+
+	valueField, err := fieldToNode("value", value, props, arrProps)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
 	}
+	fields = append(fields, valueField)
 
 	if typed := t.TypedValue(); typed.Type != nil {
 		typedValue, err := fieldToNode("typed_value", typed, props, arrProps)
diff --git a/parquet/pqarrow/schema_test.go b/parquet/pqarrow/schema_test.go
index db72c22a..6d9465cb 100644
--- a/parquet/pqarrow/schema_test.go
+++ b/parquet/pqarrow/schema_test.go
@@ -1334,3 +1334,37 @@ func TestShreddedVariantSchema(t *testing.T) {
 
 	assert.True(t, arrSchema.Equal(arrsc), "expected: %s\ngot: %s", arrSchema, arrsc)
 }
+
+func TestVariantValueRequiredOnWrite(t *testing.T) {
+	vt, err := extensions.NewVariantType(arrow.StructOf(
+		arrow.Field{Name: "metadata", Type: arrow.BinaryTypes.Binary, Nullable: false},
+		arrow.Field{Name: "typed_value", Type: arrow.PrimitiveTypes.Int32, Nullable: true},
+	))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	arrSchema := arrow.NewSchema([]arrow.Field{
+		{Name: "variant_col", Type: vt, Nullable: true},
+	}, nil)
+	_, err = pqarrow.ToParquet(arrSchema, nil, pqarrow.DefaultWriterProps())
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	assert.ErrorIs(t, err, arrow.ErrInvalid)
+	assert.ErrorContains(t, err, "variant 'value' field is required when writing Parquet")
+}
+
+func TestReadVariantWithoutValueField(t *testing.T) {
+	metadata := schema.NewByteArrayNode("metadata", parquet.Repetitions.Required, -1)
+	typed := schema.MustPrimitive(schema.NewPrimitiveNodeLogical("typed_value", parquet.Repetitions.Optional,
+		schema.NewIntLogicalType(32, true), parquet.Types.Int32, 0, -1))
+	variant, err := schema.NewGroupNodeLogical("var", parquet.Repetitions.Optional,
+		schema.FieldList{metadata, typed}, schema.VariantLogicalType{}, -1)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	pqschema := schema.NewSchema(schema.MustGroup(schema.NewGroupNode("schema", parquet.Repetitions.Required, schema.FieldList{variant}, -1)))
+	outSchema, err := pqarrow.FromParquet(pqschema, nil, nil)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	vt, ok := outSchema.Field(0).Type.(*extensions.VariantType)
+	require.True(t, ok)
+	assert.Nil(t, vt.Value().Type)
+	assert.Equal(t, arrow.PrimitiveTypes.Int32, vt.TypedValue().Type)
+}