diff --git a/pydantic_extra_types/language_code.py b/pydantic_extra_types/language_code.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e26e09f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pydantic_extra_types/language_code.py
@@ -0,0 +1,189 @@
+from typing import Literal
+
+# language code definition as defined in ISO 639-3 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_639-3
+LanguageCode = Literal[
+    'aar',
+    'abk',
+    'afr',
+    'aka',
+    'alb',
+    'amh',
+    'ara',
+    'arg',
+    'arm',
+    'asm',
+    'ava',
+    'ave',
+    'aym',
+    'aze',
+    'bak',
+    'bam',
+    'baq',
+    'bel',
+    'ben',
+    'bih',
+    'bis',
+    'bos',
+    'bre',
+    'bul',
+    'bur',
+    'cat',
+    'cha',
+    'che',
+    'chi',
+    'chu',
+    'chv',
+    'cor',
+    'cos',
+    'cre',
+    'cze',
+    'dan',
+    'div',
+    'dut',
+    'dzo',
+    'eng',
+    'epo',
+    'est',
+    'ewe',
+    'fao',
+    'fij',
+    'fin',
+    'fre',
+    'fry',
+    'ful',
+    'geo',
+    'ger',
+    'gla',
+    'gle',
+    'glg',
+    'glv',
+    'gre',
+    'grn',
+    'guj',
+    'hat',
+    'hau',
+    'heb',
+    'her',
+    'hin',
+    'hmo',
+    'hrv',
+    'hun',
+    'ibo',
+    'ice',
+    'ido',
+    'iii',
+    'iku',
+    'ile',
+    'ina',
+    'ind',
+    'ipk',
+    'ita',
+    'jav',
+    'jpn',
+    'kal',
+    'kan',
+    'kas',
+    'kau',
+    'kaz',
+    'khm',
+    'kik',
+    'kin',
+    'kir',
+    'kom',
+    'kon',
+    'kor',
+    'kua',
+    'kur',
+    'lao',
+    'lat',
+    'lav',
+    'lim',
+    'lin',
+    'lit',
+    'ltz',
+    'lub',
+    'lug',
+    'mac',
+    'mah',
+    'mal',
+    'mao',
+    'mar',
+    'may',
+    'mlg',
+    'mlt',
+    'mon',
+    'nau',
+    'nav',
+    'nbl',
+    'nde',
+    'ndo',
+    'nep',
+    'nno',
+    'nob',
+    'nor',
+    'nya',
+    'oci',
+    'oji',
+    'ori',
+    'orm',
+    'oss',
+    'pan',
+    'per',
+    'pli',
+    'pol',
+    'por',
+    'pus',
+    'que',
+    'roh',
+    'rum',
+    'run',
+    'rus',
+    'sag',
+    'san',
+    'sin',
+    'slo',
+    'slv',
+    'sme',
+    'smo',
+    'sna',
+    'snd',
+    'som',
+    'sot',
+    'spa',
+    'srd',
+    'srp',
+    'ssw',
+    'sun',
+    'swa',
+    'swe',
+    'tah',
+    'tam',
+    'tat',
+    'tel',
+    'tgk',
+    'tgl',
+    'tha',
+    'tib',
+    'tir',
+    'ton',
+    'tsn',
+    'tso',
+    'tuk',
+    'tur',
+    'twi',
+    'uig',
+    'ukr',
+    'urd',
+    'uzb',
+    'ven',
+    'vie',
+    'vol',
+    'wel',
+    'wln',
+    'wol',
+    'xho',
+    'yid',
+    'yor',
+    'zha',
+    'zul'
+]
diff --git a/tests/test_language_codes.py b/tests/test_language_codes.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3b462a59
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_language_codes.py
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+import pytest
+from pydantic import BaseModel, ValidationError
+
+from pydantic_extra_types.language_code import LanguageCode
+
+
+class CheckingModel(BaseModel):
+    lang: LanguageCode
+
+
+def test_language_ok():
+    model = CheckingModel(lang='eng')
+    assert model.lang == 'eng'
+
+
+def test_language_fail():
+    with pytest.raises(ValidationError):
+        CheckingModel(lang='en-US')