diff --git a/virtcontainers/interfaces.go b/virtcontainers/interfaces.go
index 54b6cfd4e0..dc62135682 100644
--- a/virtcontainers/interfaces.go
+++ b/virtcontainers/interfaces.go
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ type VCSandbox interface {
 	Resume() error
 	Release() error
 	Delete() error
+	Status() SandboxStatus
 	CreateContainer(contConfig ContainerConfig) (VCContainer, error)
 	DeleteContainer(contID string) (VCContainer, error)
 	StartContainer(containerID string) (VCContainer, error)
diff --git a/virtcontainers/pkg/vcmock/sandbox.go b/virtcontainers/pkg/vcmock/sandbox.go
index 4cffc4875e..943ffe2b71 100644
--- a/virtcontainers/pkg/vcmock/sandbox.go
+++ b/virtcontainers/pkg/vcmock/sandbox.go
@@ -89,3 +89,8 @@ func (p *Sandbox) StartContainer(contID string) (vc.VCContainer, error) {
 func (p *Sandbox) StatusContainer(contID string) (vc.ContainerStatus, error) {
 	return vc.ContainerStatus{}, nil
 }
+
+// Status implements the VCSandbox function of the same name.
+func (p *Sandbox) Status() vc.SandboxStatus {
+	return vc.SandboxStatus{}
+}
diff --git a/virtcontainers/sandbox.go b/virtcontainers/sandbox.go
index 70c3298dae..03758f41da 100644
--- a/virtcontainers/sandbox.go
+++ b/virtcontainers/sandbox.go
@@ -535,6 +535,32 @@ func (s *Sandbox) Release() error {
 	return s.agent.disconnect()
 }
 
+// Status gets the status of the sandbox
+// TODO: update container status properly, see kata-containers/runtime#253
+func (s *Sandbox) Status() SandboxStatus {
+	var contStatusList []ContainerStatus
+	for _, c := range s.containers {
+		contStatusList = append(contStatusList, ContainerStatus{
+			ID:          c.id,
+			State:       c.state,
+			PID:         c.process.Pid,
+			StartTime:   c.process.StartTime,
+			RootFs:      c.config.RootFs,
+			Annotations: c.config.Annotations,
+		})
+	}
+
+	return SandboxStatus{
+		ID:               s.id,
+		State:            s.state,
+		Hypervisor:       s.config.HypervisorType,
+		HypervisorConfig: s.config.HypervisorConfig,
+		Agent:            s.config.AgentType,
+		ContainersStatus: contStatusList,
+		Annotations:      s.config.Annotations,
+	}
+}
+
 func createAssets(sandboxConfig *SandboxConfig) error {
 	kernel, err := newAsset(sandboxConfig, kernelAsset)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/virtcontainers/sandbox_test.go b/virtcontainers/sandbox_test.go
index a6eab04680..c6dc8dfc0e 100644
--- a/virtcontainers/sandbox_test.go
+++ b/virtcontainers/sandbox_test.go
@@ -1356,3 +1356,11 @@ func TestStatusContainer(t *testing.T) {
 	_, err = s.DeleteContainer(contID)
 	assert.Nil(t, err, "Failed to delete container %s in sandbox %s: %v", contID, s.ID(), err)
 }
+
+func TestStatusSandbox(t *testing.T) {
+	s, err := testCreateSandbox(t, testSandboxID, MockHypervisor, newHypervisorConfig(nil, nil), NoopAgentType, NoopNetworkModel, NetworkConfig{}, nil, nil)
+	assert.Nil(t, err, "VirtContainers should not allow empty sandboxes")
+	defer cleanUp()
+
+	s.Status()
+}