diff --git a/runner/providers/external/execution/interface.go b/runner/providers/external/execution/interface.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7c8cc90f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runner/providers/external/execution/interface.go
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+package execution
+
+import (
+	"context"
+
+	"github.com/cloudbase/garm/params"
+)
+
+// ExternalProvider defines an interface that external providers need to implement.
+// This is very similar to the common.Provider interface, and was redefined here to
+// decouple it, in case it may diverge from native providers.
+type ExternalProvider interface {
+	// CreateInstance creates a new compute instance in the provider.
+	CreateInstance(ctx context.Context, bootstrapParams params.BootstrapInstance) (params.Instance, error)
+	// Delete instance will delete the instance in a provider.
+	DeleteInstance(ctx context.Context, instance string) error
+	// GetInstance will return details about one instance.
+	GetInstance(ctx context.Context, instance string) (params.Instance, error)
+	// ListInstances will list all instances for a provider.
+	ListInstances(ctx context.Context, poolID string) ([]params.Instance, error)
+	// RemoveAllInstances will remove all instances created by this provider.
+	RemoveAllInstances(ctx context.Context) error
+	// Stop shuts down the instance.
+	Stop(ctx context.Context, instance string, force bool) error
+	// Start boots up an instance.
+	Start(ctx context.Context, instance string) error
+}