diff --git a/dvc/cli/__init__.py b/dvc/cli/__init__.py
index e5bc06749..274b564fd 100644
--- a/dvc/cli/__init__.py
+++ b/dvc/cli/__init__.py
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ def main(argv=None):  # noqa: C901, PLR0912, PLR0915
     finally:
         logger.setLevel(outer_log_level)
 
-        from dvc.external_repo import clean_repos
+        from dvc.repo.open_repo import clean_repos
 
         # Remove cached repos in the end of the call, these are anonymous
         # so won't be reused by any other subsequent run anyway.
diff --git a/dvc/repo/__init__.py b/dvc/repo/__init__.py
index d5247cd76..850e9118f 100644
--- a/dvc/repo/__init__.py
+++ b/dvc/repo/__init__.py
@@ -287,18 +287,9 @@ class Repo:
 
     @staticmethod
     def open(url, *args, **kwargs):  # noqa: A003
-        if url is None:
-            url = os.getcwd()
+        from .open_repo import open_repo
 
-        if os.path.exists(url):
-            try:
-                return Repo(url, *args, **kwargs)
-            except NotDvcRepoError:
-                pass  # fallthrough to external_repo
-
-        from dvc.external_repo import external_repo
-
-        return external_repo(url, *args, **kwargs)
+        return open_repo(url, *args, **kwargs)
 
     @cached_property
     def scm(self) -> Union["Git", "NoSCM"]:
diff --git a/dvc/repo/get.py b/dvc/repo/get.py
index cb397ee9e..8453f3cd8 100644
--- a/dvc/repo/get.py
+++ b/dvc/repo/get.py
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ def get(url, path, out=None, rev=None, jobs=None, force=False):
     import shortuuid
 
     from dvc.dvcfile import is_valid_filename
-    from dvc.external_repo import external_repo
     from dvc.fs.callbacks import Callback
+    from dvc.repo.open_repo import external_repo
 
     out = resolve_output(path, out, force=force)
 
diff --git a/dvc/external_repo.py b/dvc/repo/open_repo.py
similarity index 96%
rename from dvc/external_repo.py
rename to dvc/repo/open_repo.py
index 0e93dc2d2..ed61c6163 100644
--- a/dvc/external_repo.py
+++ b/dvc/repo/open_repo.py
@@ -13,10 +13,9 @@ from dvc.scm import CloneError, map_scm_exception
 from dvc.utils import relpath
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from dvc.scm import Git
     from dvc.types import StrPath
 
-    from .scm import Git
-
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
@@ -70,6 +69,19 @@ def external_repo(
             _remove(path)
 
 
+def open_repo(url, *args, **kwargs):
+    if url is None:
+        url = os.getcwd()
+
+    if os.path.exists(url):
+        try:
+            return Repo(url, *args, **kwargs)
+        except NotDvcRepoError:
+            pass  # fallthrough to external_repo
+
+    return external_repo(url, *args, **kwargs)
+
+
 def erepo_factory(url, root_dir, cache_config):
     from dvc.fs import localfs
 
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index dbaabba91..56033439c 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ def enable_ui():
 
 @pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
 def clean_repos():
-    from dvc.external_repo import clean_repos
+    from dvc.repo.open_repo import clean_repos
 
     clean_repos()
 
diff --git a/tests/func/test_data_cloud.py b/tests/func/test_data_cloud.py
index f4d86b9dd..1204a9425 100644
--- a/tests/func/test_data_cloud.py
+++ b/tests/func/test_data_cloud.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ from flaky.flaky_decorator import flaky
 import dvc_data
 from dvc.cli import main
 from dvc.exceptions import CheckoutError
-from dvc.external_repo import clean_repos
+from dvc.repo.open_repo import clean_repos
 from dvc.stage.exceptions import StageNotFound
 from dvc.testing.remote_tests import TestRemote  # noqa, pylint: disable=unused-import
 from dvc.utils.fs import remove
diff --git a/tests/func/test_external_repo.py b/tests/func/test_external_repo.py
index 1eedaf540..0a57e7086 100644
--- a/tests/func/test_external_repo.py
+++ b/tests/func/test_external_repo.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import os
 from unittest.mock import ANY
 
-from dvc.external_repo import CLONES, external_repo
+from dvc.repo.open_repo import CLONES, external_repo
 from dvc.scm import Git
 from dvc.testing.tmp_dir import make_subrepo
 from dvc.utils import relpath
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_external_repo.py b/tests/unit/repo/test_open_repo.py
similarity index 98%
rename from tests/unit/test_external_repo.py
rename to tests/unit/repo/test_open_repo.py
index cedc00a38..0f513af63 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_external_repo.py
+++ b/tests/unit/repo/test_open_repo.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ from unittest.mock import call
 
 import pytest
 
-from dvc.external_repo import external_repo
+from dvc.repo.open_repo import external_repo
 from dvc.testing.tmp_dir import make_subrepo