Aninterior minister (sometimes called aminister of internal affairs orminister of home affairs) is acabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such aspublic security, civil registration and identification,emergency management, supervision of regional andlocal governments, conduct ofelections,public administration andimmigration (including passport issuance) matters. This position is head of a department that is often called aninterior ministry, aministry of internal affairs or aministry of home affairs. In some jurisdictions, there is no department called an "interior ministry", but the relevant responsibilities are allocated to other departments.

In some countries, the public security portfolio belongs to a separate ministry (under a title like "ministry of public order" or "ministry of security"), with the interior ministry being limited to control over local governments, public administration, elections and similar matters. Notable examples include Greece (Ministry of Citizen Protection) and Israel (Ministry of Public Security). In some jurisdictions, matters relating to the maintenance of law and order and theadministration of justice are the responsibility of a separatejustice ministry.

In countries with afederal constitution, interior ministers will often be found at both the federal and sub-national levels. Similarly,autonomous entities anddependent territories may also have interior ministers.

In the United Kingdom, the position ofSecretary of State for the Home Department, normally referred to as the "Home Secretary", was created in theBritish governmental reorganisation of 1782.^[1]

TheUnited States Department of the Interior has responsibilities different from similarly named departments elsewhere, primarily the management and conservation of natural resources, and programs and policies dealing withIndigenous peoples. The functions that fall under what most other countries call an "interior ministry" come under other government departments—mostly theDepartment of Homeland Security (established in 2002 with functions such as immigration management, public safety and disaster relief), with some others falling under theDepartment of Justice (with functions such as handling the national police and the management of prisons) and individual state governments (e.g. election management).

In Canada, the post ofMinister of the Interior existed from 1873 to 1936, replacing the previous role of theSecretary of State for the Provinces; it included functions similar to the US Department of the Interior. After 1936 the post was abolished, its responsibilities being transferred to other departments.

In Hong Kong, theSecretary for Home Affairs is responsible for matters relating to communities, culture, sports and local governance. Policing and related matters are the responsibilities of theSecretary for Security.

TheMinistry of Home Affairs in India (MHA) is responsible for internal security anddemographics, promoting theofficial languages.^[2] It carries out specialized functions through its departments, namely the Department of Border Management, the Department of Internal Security, the Department ofJammu & Kashmir Affairs, the Department of Home, the Department of Official Language and the Department of States. As such it heads such functions as theinternal intelligence, and police andCivil Services of India, also handlingprotocol, freedom-fighter pensions and manning of thecourts.^[3]

In Japan, law enforcement is decentralised with theNational Public Safety Commission coordinating between theNational Police Agency and thegovernment through its chairman, who is a cabinet member. National security and immigration matters fall under theMinistry of Justice, whilst theMinistry of Internal Affairs and Communications handles the administrative system, local government, elections, telecommunication and post matters.

In Vietnam, theMinistry of Public Security is responsible for policing, national security, and immigration matters.

• List of current interior ministers
• List of female interior ministers

• Ministry of home affairs
• Justice ministry