diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 9f42753dd3..14ab32e70a 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ For experimental package changes, see the [experimental CHANGELOG](experimental/
 * feat(instrumentation): Make `init()` method public [#4418](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-js/pull/4418)
 * feat(context-zone-peer-dep, context-zone): support zone.js 0.13.x, 0.14.x [#4469](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-js/pull/4469) @pichlermarc
 * chore: Semantic Conventions export individual strings [4185](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-js/issues/4185)
+* feat(sdk-trace-base): allow adding span links after span creation [#4536](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-js/pull/4536) @seemk
 
 ### :bug: (Bug Fix)
 
diff --git a/api/CHANGELOG.md b/api/CHANGELOG.md
index fbc6f264c1..946d39be86 100644
--- a/api/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/api/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 
 ### :rocket: (Enhancement)
 
+* feat(api): allow adding span links after span creation [#4536](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-js/pull/4536) @seemk
+  * This change is non-breaking for end-users, but breaking for Trace SDK implmentations in accordance with the [specification](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-specification/blob/a03382ada8afa9415266a84dafac0510ec8c160f/specification/upgrading.md?plain=1#L97-L122) as new features need to be implemented.
 * feat: support node 22 [#4666](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-js/pull/4666) @dyladan
 
 ### :bug: (Bug Fix)
diff --git a/api/src/trace/NonRecordingSpan.ts b/api/src/trace/NonRecordingSpan.ts
index a9e5bcaf9b..9ee3d28837 100644
--- a/api/src/trace/NonRecordingSpan.ts
+++ b/api/src/trace/NonRecordingSpan.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import { INVALID_SPAN_CONTEXT } from './invalid-span-constants';
 import { Span } from './span';
 import { SpanContext } from './span_context';
 import { SpanStatus } from './status';
+import { Link } from './link';
 
 /**
  * The NonRecordingSpan is the default {@link Span} that is used when no Span
@@ -52,6 +53,14 @@ export class NonRecordingSpan implements Span {
     return this;
   }
 
+  addLink(_link: Link): this {
+    return this;
+  }
+
+  addLinks(_links: Link[]): this {
+    return this;
+  }
+
   // By default does nothing
   setStatus(_status: SpanStatus): this {
     return this;
diff --git a/api/src/trace/span.ts b/api/src/trace/span.ts
index d80b8c2626..e3b563f103 100644
--- a/api/src/trace/span.ts
+++ b/api/src/trace/span.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import { TimeInput } from '../common/Time';
 import { SpanAttributes, SpanAttributeValue } from './attributes';
 import { SpanContext } from './span_context';
 import { SpanStatus } from './status';
+import { Link } from './link';
 
 /**
  * An interface that represents a span. A span represents a single operation
@@ -76,6 +77,26 @@ export interface Span {
     startTime?: TimeInput
   ): this;
 
+  /**
+   * Adds a single link to the span.
+   *
+   * Links added after the creation will not affect the sampling decision.
+   * It is preferred span links be added at span creation.
+   *
+   * @param link the link to add.
+   */
+  addLink(link: Link): this;
+
+  /**
+   * Adds multiple links to the span.
+   *
+   * Links added after the creation will not affect the sampling decision.
+   * It is preferred span links be added at span creation.
+   *
+   * @param links the links to add.
+   */
+  addLinks(links: Link[]): this;
+
   /**
    * Sets a status to the span. If used, this will override the default Span
    * status. Default is {@link SpanStatusCode.UNSET}. SetStatus overrides the value
diff --git a/api/test/common/noop-implementations/noop-span.test.ts b/api/test/common/noop-implementations/noop-span.test.ts
index 5bc341f31a..05020716de 100644
--- a/api/test/common/noop-implementations/noop-span.test.ts
+++ b/api/test/common/noop-implementations/noop-span.test.ts
@@ -36,6 +36,14 @@ describe('NonRecordingSpan', () => {
       my_number_attribute: 123,
     });
 
+    const linkContext = {
+      traceId: 'e4cda95b652f4a1592b449d5929fda1b',
+      spanId: '7e0c63257de34c92',
+      traceFlags: TraceFlags.SAMPLED,
+    };
+    span.addLink({ context: linkContext });
+    span.addLinks([{ context: linkContext }]);
+
     span.addEvent('sent');
     span.addEvent('sent', { id: '42', key: 'value' });
 
diff --git a/packages/opentelemetry-sdk-trace-base/src/Span.ts b/packages/opentelemetry-sdk-trace-base/src/Span.ts
index 06b7056a17..e2af2ad5ee 100644
--- a/packages/opentelemetry-sdk-trace-base/src/Span.ts
+++ b/packages/opentelemetry-sdk-trace-base/src/Span.ts
@@ -210,6 +210,16 @@ export class Span implements APISpan, ReadableSpan {
     return this;
   }
 
+  addLink(link: Link): this {
+    this.links.push(link);
+    return this;
+  }
+
+  addLinks(links: Link[]): this {
+    this.links.push(...links);
+    return this;
+  }
+
   setStatus(status: SpanStatus): this {
     if (this._isSpanEnded()) return this;
     this.status = status;
diff --git a/packages/opentelemetry-sdk-trace-base/test/common/Span.test.ts b/packages/opentelemetry-sdk-trace-base/test/common/Span.test.ts
index 5dd7ec79e5..aa36407466 100644
--- a/packages/opentelemetry-sdk-trace-base/test/common/Span.test.ts
+++ b/packages/opentelemetry-sdk-trace-base/test/common/Span.test.ts
@@ -771,30 +771,6 @@ describe('Span', () => {
     });
   });
 
-  it('should set a link', () => {
-    const spanContext: SpanContext = {
-      traceId: 'a3cda95b652f4a1592b449d5929fda1b',
-      spanId: '5e0c63257de34c92',
-      traceFlags: TraceFlags.SAMPLED,
-    };
-    const linkContext: SpanContext = {
-      traceId: 'b3cda95b652f4a1592b449d5929fda1b',
-      spanId: '6e0c63257de34c92',
-      traceFlags: TraceFlags.SAMPLED,
-    };
-    const attributes = { attr1: 'value', attr2: 123, attr3: true };
-    const span = new Span(
-      tracer,
-      ROOT_CONTEXT,
-      name,
-      spanContext,
-      SpanKind.CLIENT,
-      '12345',
-      [{ context: linkContext }, { context: linkContext, attributes }]
-    );
-    span.end();
-  });
-
   it('should drop extra events', () => {
     const span = new Span(
       tracer,
@@ -959,6 +935,58 @@ describe('Span', () => {
     span.end();
   });
 
+  it('should be possible to add a link after span creation', () => {
+    const span = new Span(
+      tracer,
+      ROOT_CONTEXT,
+      'my-span',
+      spanContext,
+      SpanKind.CONSUMER
+    );
+
+    span.addLink({ context: linkContext });
+
+    span.end();
+
+    assert.strictEqual(span.links.length, 1);
+    assert.deepStrictEqual(span.links, [
+      {
+        context: linkContext,
+      },
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it('should be possible to add multiple links after span creation', () => {
+    const span = new Span(
+      tracer,
+      ROOT_CONTEXT,
+      'my-span',
+      spanContext,
+      SpanKind.CONSUMER
+    );
+
+    span.addLinks([
+      { context: linkContext },
+      {
+        context: linkContext,
+        attributes: { attr1: 'value', attr2: 123, attr3: true },
+      },
+    ]);
+
+    span.end();
+
+    assert.strictEqual(span.links.length, 2);
+    assert.deepStrictEqual(span.links, [
+      {
+        context: linkContext,
+      },
+      {
+        attributes: { attr1: 'value', attr2: 123, attr3: true },
+        context: linkContext,
+      },
+    ]);
+  });
+
   it('should return ReadableSpan with events', () => {
     const span = new Span(
       tracer,