Title III: Domicile

The domicile of any French person, as regards the exercise of his civil rights, is at the place where he has his principal establishment. The place of exercise of the civil rights of a person with no stable place of residence is the place where they have elected domicile under the conditions provided for in Article L. 264-1 of the Code de l’action sociale et des familles. Boatmen and other…

The change of domicile will be effected by the fact of a real dwelling in another place, joined to the intention to fix his principal place of business there.

Proof of intention will result from an express declaration, made both to the municipality of the place you are leaving, and to that of the place where you have transferred your domicile.

In the absence of an express declaration, proof of intent will depend on the circumstances.

A citizen called to a temporary or revocable public office will retain the domicile he had previously, if he has not manifested a contrary intention.

The acceptance of functions conferred for life, will entail the immediate translation of the domicile of the civil servant in the place where he must exercise these functions.

Husband and wife may have a separate domicile without prejudice to the rules relating to community of life. Any notification made to a spouse, even one separated from bed and board, in matters of personal status and capacity, must also be addressed to his or her spouse, on pain of nullity.

The separate residence of the spouses, during divorce or legal separation proceedings, automatically entails a separate domicile.

An unemancipated minor is domiciled with his father and mother. If the father and mother have separate domiciles, he is domiciled with the parent with whom he resides.

Adults under guardianship are domiciled with their guardian.