diff --git a/include/bl31/sync_handle.h b/include/bl31/sync_handle.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6ff88f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/bl31/sync_handle.h
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2022, ARM Limited. All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
+ */
+
+#ifndef TRAP_HANDLE_H
+#define TRAP_HANDLE_H
+
+#include <stdbool.h>
+#include <context.h>
+
+#define ISS_SYSREG_OPCODE_MASK		0x3ffc1eUL
+#define ISS_SYSREG_REG_MASK		0x0003e0UL
+#define ISS_SYSREG_REG_SHIFT		5U
+#define ISS_SYSREG_DIRECTION_MASK	0x000001UL
+
+#define TRAP_RET_UNHANDLED		-1
+#define TRAP_RET_REPEAT			0
+#define TRAP_RET_CONTINUE		1
+
+#ifndef __ASSEMBLER__
+static inline unsigned int get_sysreg_iss_rt(uint64_t esr)
+{
+	return (esr & ISS_SYSREG_REG_MASK) >> ISS_SYSREG_REG_SHIFT;
+}
+
+static inline bool is_sysreg_iss_write(uint64_t esr)
+{
+	return !(esr & ISS_SYSREG_DIRECTION_MASK);
+}
+
+/**
+ * handle_sysreg_trap() - Handle AArch64 system register traps from lower ELs
+ * @esr_el3: The content of ESR_EL3, containing the trap syndrome information
+ * @ctx: Pointer to the lower EL context, containing saved registers
+ *
+ * Called by the exception handler when a synchronous trap identifies as a
+ * system register trap (EC=0x18). ESR contains the encoding of the op[x] and
+ * CRm/CRn fields, to identify the system register, and the target/source
+ * GPR plus the direction (MRS/MSR). The lower EL's context can be altered
+ * by the function, to inject back the result of the emulation.
+ *
+ * Return: indication how to proceed with the trap:
+ *   TRAP_RET_UNHANDLED(-1): trap is unhandled, trigger panic
+ *   TRAP_RET_REPEAT(0): trap was handled, return to the trapping instruction
+ *			 (repeating it)
+ *   TRAP_RET_CONTINUE(1): trap was handled, return to the next instruction
+ *		           (continuing after it)
+ */
+int handle_sysreg_trap(uint64_t esr_el3, cpu_context_t *ctx);
+
+#endif /* __ASSEMBLER__ */
+
+#endif