diff --git a/sys/include/net/netif.h b/sys/include/net/netif.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e0fedf0a65
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sys/include/net/netif.h
@@ -0,0 +1,136 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2016 Kaspar Schleiser <kaspar@schleiser.de>
+ * Copyright (C) 2017 Freie Universität Berlin
+ *
+ * This file is subject to the terms and conditions of the GNU Lesser
+ * General Public License v2.1. See the file LICENSE in the top level
+ * directory for more details.
+ */
+
+/**
+ * @defgroup    net_netif   Network interfaces
+ * @ingroup     net
+ * @brief       Common network interface API
+ *
+ * This allows access to network interfaces regardless of the network stack
+ * implementation. @anchor NETIF_INVALID The network stack must provide
+ *
+ * - Both a definition for the type `netif_t` and the
+ *   value `NETIF_INVALID` of type `netif_t` in a file `netif_types.h` and
+ * - implementation of all the functions defined in @ref net/netif.h
+ *
+ * @{
+ *
+ * @file
+ * @brief   Common network interface API definitions
+ *
+ * @author  Martine Lenders <m.lenders@fu-berlin.de>
+ * @author  Kaspar Schleiser <kaspar@schleiser.de>
+ */
+#ifndef NET_NETIF_H
+#define NET_NETIF_H
+
+#include "net/netopt.h"
+
+#include "netif_types.h"
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C" {
+#endif
+
+/**
+ * @brief   Maximum length for an interface name
+ */
+#ifndef NETIF_NAMELENMAX
+#define NETIF_NAMELENMAX    (8U)
+#endif
+
+/**
+ * @brief   Iterator for the interfaces
+ *
+ * Returns interface after @p last. To start use `last == NETIF_INVALID`.
+ *
+ * @param[in] last  The previous interface. Usen `NETIF_INVALID` to start
+ *                  iteration.
+ *
+ * @note    Supposed to be implemented by the networking module
+ *
+ * @return next network interface.
+ * @return @ref NETIF_INVALID, if there is no interface after @p last
+ */
+netif_t netif_iter(netif_t last);
+
+/**
+ * @brief   Gets name of an interface
+ *
+ * @pre `name != NULL`
+ * @pre name holds at least @ref NETIF_NAMELENMAX characters
+ *
+ * @note    Supposed to be implemented by the networking module. `name` must be
+ *          zero-terminated in the result!
+ *
+ * @param[in] netif A network interface.
+ * @param[out] name The name of the interface. Must not be `NULL`. Must at least
+ *                  hold @ref NETIF_NAMELENMAX bytes.
+ *
+ * @return  length of @p name on success
+ * @return  0, if @p netif was not a valid interface.
+ */
+int netif_get_name(netif_t netif, char *name);
+
+/**
+ * @brief   Gets interface by name
+ *
+ * @pre `name != NULL`
+ *
+ * @note    Supposed to be implemented by the networking module.
+
+ *
+ * @param[in] name  The name of an interface as a zero-terminated. Must not be
+ *                  `NULL`.
+ *
+ * @return  The identifier of the interface on success.
+ * @return  @ref NETIF_INVALID if no interface is named @p name.
+ */
+netif_t netif_get_by_name(const char *name);
+
+/**
+ * @brief   Gets option from an interface
+ *
+ * @note    Supposed to be implemented by the networking module
+ *
+ * @param[in]   netif   A network interface.
+ * @param[in]   opt     Option type.
+ * @param[in]   context (Optional) context to the given option
+ * @param[out]  value   Pointer to store the option's value in.
+ * @param[in]   max_len Maximal amount of byte that fit into @p value.
+ *
+ * @return  Number of bytes written to @p value.
+ * @return  `< 0` on error, 0 on success.
+ */
+int netif_get_opt(netif_t netif, netopt_t opt, uint16_t context,
+                  void *value, size_t max_len);
+
+/**
+ * @brief   Sets option to an interface
+ *
+ * @note    Supposed to be implemented by the networking module
+ *
+ * @param[in] netif     A network interface.
+ * @param[in] opt       Option type.
+ * @param[in] context   (Optional) context to the given option
+ * @param[in] value     Pointer to store the option's value in.
+ * @param[in] value_len The length of @p value.
+ *
+ * @return Number of bytes used from @p value.
+ * @return `< 0` on error, 0 on success.
+ */
+int netif_set_opt(netif_t netif, netopt_t opt, uint16_t context,
+                  void *value, size_t value_len);
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+}
+#endif
+
+#endif /* NET_NETIF_H */
+/** @} */