diff --git a/.changelog/5693.fixed b/.changelog/5693.fixed
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..dce6d63839a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/5693.fixed
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+`opentelemetry-sdk`: add validation for export_timeout_millis <= 0 in BatchSpanProcessor, BatchLogRecordProcessor, and PeriodicExportingMetricReader
diff --git a/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/_logs/_internal/export/__init__.py b/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/_logs/_internal/export/__init__.py
index d6ff7717eff..2d9738d8822 100644
--- a/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/_logs/_internal/export/__init__.py
+++ b/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/_logs/_internal/export/__init__.py
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ def __init__(
         if export_timeout_millis is None:
             export_timeout_millis = BatchLogRecordProcessor._default_export_timeout_millis()
 
-        BatchLogRecordProcessor._validate_arguments(max_queue_size, schedule_delay_millis, max_export_batch_size)
+        BatchLogRecordProcessor._validate_arguments(max_queue_size, schedule_delay_millis, max_export_batch_size, export_timeout_millis)
         # Initializes BatchProcessor
         self._batch_processor = BatchProcessor(
             exporter,
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@ def _default_export_timeout_millis():
             return _DEFAULT_EXPORT_TIMEOUT_MILLIS
 
     @staticmethod
-    def _validate_arguments(max_queue_size, schedule_delay_millis, max_export_batch_size):
+    def _validate_arguments(max_queue_size, schedule_delay_millis, max_export_batch_size, export_timeout_millis):
         if max_queue_size <= 0:
             raise ValueError("max_queue_size must be a positive integer.")
 
@@ -388,5 +388,8 @@ def _validate_arguments(max_queue_size, schedule_delay_millis, max_export_batch_
         if max_export_batch_size <= 0:
             raise ValueError("max_export_batch_size must be a positive integer.")
 
+        if export_timeout_millis <= 0:
+            raise ValueError("export_timeout_millis must be positive.")
+
         if max_export_batch_size > max_queue_size:
             raise ValueError("max_export_batch_size must be less than or equal to max_queue_size.")
diff --git a/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/metrics/_internal/export/__init__.py b/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/metrics/_internal/export/__init__.py
index cb1040537d3..399280e39e1 100644
--- a/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/metrics/_internal/export/__init__.py
+++ b/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/metrics/_internal/export/__init__.py
@@ -460,7 +460,17 @@ def __init__(
         self._shutdown_event = Event()
         self._shutdown_once = Once()
         self._daemon_thread = None
-        if self._export_interval_millis > 0 and self._export_interval_millis < math.inf:
+        if self._export_interval_millis <= 0:
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"interval value {self._export_interval_millis} is invalid \
+                and needs to be larger than zero."
+            )
+        if self._export_timeout_millis <= 0:
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"timeout value {self._export_timeout_millis} is invalid \
+                and needs to be larger than zero."
+            )
+        if self._export_interval_millis < math.inf:
             self._daemon_thread = Thread(
                 name="OtelPeriodicExportingMetricReader",
                 target=self._ticker,
@@ -475,11 +485,6 @@ def _after_in_child() -> None:
                         at_fork()
 
                 os.register_at_fork(after_in_child=_after_in_child)
-        elif self._export_interval_millis <= 0:
-            raise ValueError(
-                f"interval value {self._export_interval_millis} is invalid \
-                and needs to be larger than zero."
-            )
 
     def _at_fork_reinit(self):
         self._daemon_thread = Thread(
diff --git a/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/export/__init__.py b/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/export/__init__.py
index 525334173d8..c14959991c8 100644
--- a/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/export/__init__.py
+++ b/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/export/__init__.py
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ def __init__(
         if export_timeout_millis is None:
             export_timeout_millis = BatchSpanProcessor._default_export_timeout_millis()
 
-        BatchSpanProcessor._validate_arguments(max_queue_size, schedule_delay_millis, max_export_batch_size)
+        BatchSpanProcessor._validate_arguments(max_queue_size, schedule_delay_millis, max_export_batch_size, export_timeout_millis)
 
         self._batch_processor = BatchProcessor(
             span_exporter,
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ def _default_export_timeout_millis():
             return _DEFAULT_EXPORT_TIMEOUT_MILLIS
 
     @staticmethod
-    def _validate_arguments(max_queue_size, schedule_delay_millis, max_export_batch_size):
+    def _validate_arguments(max_queue_size, schedule_delay_millis, max_export_batch_size, export_timeout_millis):
         if max_queue_size <= 0:
             raise ValueError("max_queue_size must be a positive integer.")
 
@@ -284,6 +284,9 @@ def _validate_arguments(max_queue_size, schedule_delay_millis, max_export_batch_
         if max_export_batch_size <= 0:
             raise ValueError("max_export_batch_size must be a positive integer.")
 
+        if export_timeout_millis <= 0:
+            raise ValueError("export_timeout_millis must be positive.")
+
         if max_export_batch_size > max_queue_size:
             raise ValueError("max_export_batch_size must be less than or equal to max_queue_size.")