diff --git a/docs/_pages/getting-started.md b/docs/_pages/getting-started.md
index ed224d0..1ea17e7 100755
--- a/docs/_pages/getting-started.md
+++ b/docs/_pages/getting-started.md
@@ -68,6 +68,17 @@ $reader->close();
 
 If there are multiple sheets in the file, the reader will read all of them sequentially.
 
+---
+
+In addition to passing a reader type to ```ReaderEntityFactory::createReader```, it is also possible to provide a path to a file and create the reader.
+
+```php
+
+use Box\Spout\Reader\Common\Creator\ReaderEntityFactory;
+
+$reader = ReaderEntityFactory::createReaderFromFile('/path/to/file.xlsx');
+```
+
 ### Writer
 
 As with the reader, there is one common interface to write data to a file:
diff --git a/src/Spout/Reader/Common/Creator/ReaderEntityFactory.php b/src/Spout/Reader/Common/Creator/ReaderEntityFactory.php
index 8638381..e9e8063 100644
--- a/src/Spout/Reader/Common/Creator/ReaderEntityFactory.php
+++ b/src/Spout/Reader/Common/Creator/ReaderEntityFactory.php
@@ -21,4 +21,17 @@ class ReaderEntityFactory
     {
         return (new ReaderFactory())->create($readerType);
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Creates a reader by file extension
+     *
+     * @param string The path to the spreadsheet file. Supported extensions are .csv,.ods and .xlsx
+     * @throws \Box\Spout\Common\Exception\IOException
+     * @throws \Box\Spout\Common\Exception\UnsupportedTypeException
+     * @return ReaderInterface
+     */
+    public static function createReaderFromFile(string $path)
+    {
+        return (new ReaderFactory())->createFromFile($path);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/Spout/Reader/Common/Creator/ReaderFactory.php b/src/Spout/Reader/Common/Creator/ReaderFactory.php
index ffc2d6c..0442974 100644
--- a/src/Spout/Reader/Common/Creator/ReaderFactory.php
+++ b/src/Spout/Reader/Common/Creator/ReaderFactory.php
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 namespace Box\Spout\Reader\Common\Creator;
 
 use Box\Spout\Common\Creator\HelperFactory;
+use Box\Spout\Common\Exception\IOException;
 use Box\Spout\Common\Exception\UnsupportedTypeException;
 use Box\Spout\Common\Type;
 use Box\Spout\Reader\CSV\Creator\InternalEntityFactory as CSVInternalEntityFactory;
@@ -28,6 +29,16 @@ use Box\Spout\Reader\XLSX\Reader as XLSXReader;
  */
 class ReaderFactory
 {
+    /**
+     * Map file extensions to reader types
+     * @var array
+     */
+    private static $extensionReaderMap = [
+        'csv' => Type::CSV,
+        'ods' => Type::ODS,
+        'xlsx' => Type::XLSX,
+    ];
+
     /**
      * This creates an instance of the appropriate reader, given the type of the file to be read
      *
@@ -46,6 +57,34 @@ class ReaderFactory
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Creates a reader by file extension
+     *
+     * @param string The path to the spreadsheet file. Supported extensions are .csv,.ods and .xlsx
+     * @throws \Box\Spout\Common\Exception\IOException
+     * @throws \Box\Spout\Common\Exception\UnsupportedTypeException
+     * @return ReaderInterface
+     */
+    public static function createFromFile(string $path)
+    {
+        if (!\is_file($path)) {
+            throw new IOException(
+                sprintf('Could not open "%s" for reading! File does not exist.', $path)
+            );
+        }
+
+        $ext = \pathinfo($path, PATHINFO_EXTENSION);
+        $ext = \strtolower($ext);
+        $readerType = self::$extensionReaderMap[$ext] ?? null;
+        if ($readerType === null) {
+            throw new UnsupportedTypeException(
+                sprintf('No readers supporting the file extension "%s".', $ext)
+            );
+        }
+
+        return self::create($readerType);
+    }
+
     /**
      * @return CSVReader
      */
diff --git a/tests/Spout/Reader/Common/Creator/ReaderEntityFactoryTest.php b/tests/Spout/Reader/Common/Creator/ReaderEntityFactoryTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9b978a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Spout/Reader/Common/Creator/ReaderEntityFactoryTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Box\Spout\Reader\Common\Creator;
+
+use Box\Spout\Common\Exception\IOException;
+use Box\Spout\Common\Exception\UnsupportedTypeException;
+use Box\Spout\TestUsingResource;
+use PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase;
+
+class ReaderEntityFactoryTest extends TestCase
+{
+    use TestUsingResource;
+
+    /**
+     * @return void
+     */
+    public function testCreateFromFileCSV()
+    {
+        $validCsv = $this->getResourcePath('csv_test_create_from_file.csv');
+        $reader = ReaderEntityFactory::createReaderFromFile($validCsv);
+        $this->assertInstanceOf('Box\Spout\Reader\CSV\Reader', $reader);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @return void
+     */
+    public function testCreateFromFileCSVAllCaps()
+    {
+        $validCsv = $this->getResourcePath('csv_test_create_from_file.CSV');
+        $reader = ReaderEntityFactory::createReaderFromFile($validCsv);
+        $this->assertInstanceOf('Box\Spout\Reader\CSV\Reader', $reader);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @return void
+     */
+    public function testCreateFromFileODS()
+    {
+        $validOds = $this->getResourcePath('csv_test_create_from_file.ods');
+        $reader = ReaderEntityFactory::createReaderFromFile($validOds);
+        $this->assertInstanceOf('Box\Spout\Reader\ODS\Reader', $reader);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @return void
+     */
+    public function testCreateFromFileXLSX()
+    {
+        $validXlsx = $this->getResourcePath('csv_test_create_from_file.xlsx');
+        $reader = ReaderEntityFactory::createReaderFromFile($validXlsx);
+        $this->assertInstanceOf('Box\Spout\Reader\XLSX\Reader', $reader);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @return void
+     */
+    public function testCreateFromFileUnsupported()
+    {
+        $this->expectException(UnsupportedTypeException::class);
+        $invalid = $this->getResourcePath('test_unsupported_file_type.other');
+        $reader = ReaderEntityFactory::createReaderFromFile($invalid);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @return void
+     */
+    public function testCreateFromFileMissing()
+    {
+        $this->expectException(IOException::class);
+        $invalid = 'thereisnosuchfile.ext';
+        $reader = ReaderEntityFactory::createReaderFromFile($invalid);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tests/Spout/Reader/Common/Creator/ReaderFactoryTest.php b/tests/Spout/Reader/Common/Creator/ReaderFactoryTest.php
index 994bc3c..1efb292 100644
--- a/tests/Spout/Reader/Common/Creator/ReaderFactoryTest.php
+++ b/tests/Spout/Reader/Common/Creator/ReaderFactoryTest.php
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@
 
 namespace Box\Spout\Reader\Common\Creator;
 
+use Box\Spout\Common\Exception\IOException;
 use Box\Spout\Common\Exception\UnsupportedTypeException;
+use Box\Spout\TestUsingResource;
 use PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase;
 
 /**
@@ -10,6 +12,48 @@ use PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase;
  */
 class ReaderFactoryTest extends TestCase
 {
+    use TestUsingResource;
+
+    /**
+     * @return void
+     */
+    public function testCreateFromFileCSV()
+    {
+        $validCsv = $this->getResourcePath('csv_test_create_from_file.csv');
+        $reader = ReaderFactory::createFromFile($validCsv);
+        $this->assertInstanceOf('Box\Spout\Reader\CSV\Reader', $reader);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @return void
+     */
+    public function testCreateFromFileCSVAllCaps()
+    {
+        $validCsv = $this->getResourcePath('csv_test_create_from_file.CSV');
+        $reader = ReaderFactory::createFromFile($validCsv);
+        $this->assertInstanceOf('Box\Spout\Reader\CSV\Reader', $reader);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @return void
+     */
+    public function testCreateFromFileODS()
+    {
+        $validOds = $this->getResourcePath('csv_test_create_from_file.ods');
+        $reader = ReaderFactory::createFromFile($validOds);
+        $this->assertInstanceOf('Box\Spout\Reader\ODS\Reader', $reader);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @return void
+     */
+    public function testCreateFromFileXLSX()
+    {
+        $validXlsx = $this->getResourcePath('csv_test_create_from_file.xlsx');
+        $reader = ReaderFactory::createFromFile($validXlsx);
+        $this->assertInstanceOf('Box\Spout\Reader\XLSX\Reader', $reader);
+    }
+
     /**
      * @return void
      */
@@ -19,4 +63,24 @@ class ReaderFactoryTest extends TestCase
 
         ReaderFactory::create('unsupportedType');
     }
+
+    /**
+     * @return void
+     */
+    public function testCreateFromFileUnsupported()
+    {
+        $this->expectException(UnsupportedTypeException::class);
+        $invalid = $this->getResourcePath('test_unsupported_file_type.other');
+        $reader = ReaderFactory::createFromFile($invalid);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @return void
+     */
+    public function testCreateFromFileMissing()
+    {
+        $this->expectException(IOException::class);
+        $invalid = 'thereisnosuchfile.ext';
+        $reader = ReaderFactory::createFromFile($invalid);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/tests/resources/csv/csv_test_create_from_file.CSV b/tests/resources/csv/csv_test_create_from_file.CSV
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..30d74d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/resources/csv/csv_test_create_from_file.CSV
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+test
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/resources/csv/csv_test_create_from_file.csv b/tests/resources/csv/csv_test_create_from_file.csv
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..30d74d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/resources/csv/csv_test_create_from_file.csv
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+test
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/resources/ods/csv_test_create_from_file.ods b/tests/resources/ods/csv_test_create_from_file.ods
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c07641a
Binary files /dev/null and b/tests/resources/ods/csv_test_create_from_file.ods differ
diff --git a/tests/resources/other/test_unsupported_file_type.other b/tests/resources/other/test_unsupported_file_type.other
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/tests/resources/xlsx/csv_test_create_from_file.xlsx b/tests/resources/xlsx/csv_test_create_from_file.xlsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..012c3e2
Binary files /dev/null and b/tests/resources/xlsx/csv_test_create_from_file.xlsx differ