Book III: Different ways of acquiring property

On arrival of the vessel in a port on national territory, the two originals of the will, or the original and its dispatch, or the original which remains, in the event of transmission or delivery made during the course of the voyage, shall be deposited, in a closed and sealed envelope, for State vessels with the Minister responsible for national defence and, for other vessels, with the Minister responsible for…

The vessel’s logbook shall mention, opposite the testator’s name, the handing over of the originals or the copy of the will made, as the case may be, to the consulate, to the minister responsible for national defence or to the minister responsible for the sea.

A will made during a sea voyage, in the form prescribed by articles 988 et seq. shall be valid only so long as the testator dies on board or within six months after he has disembarked in a place where he has been able to make it again in the ordinary forms. However, if the testator undertakes a new sea voyage before the expiry of this period, the will will…

The provisions inserted in a will made, during a maritime voyage, for the benefit of the ship’s officers other than those who would be relatives or allies of the testator, shall be null and void. This will apply whether the will is made in holographic form or is received in accordance with articles 988 et seq.

The testator shall be read, in the presence of witnesses, the provisions of article 984, 987 or 994, as the case may be, and mention of this reading shall be made in the will.

The wills included in the above articles of this section shall be signed by the testator, by those who have received them and by the witnesses.

If the testator declares that he cannot or does not know how to sign, mention shall be made of his declaration, together with the cause which prevents him from signing. In the event that the presence of two witnesses is required, the will shall be signed by at least one of them, and mention shall be made of the cause why the other has not signed.

A French person who is in a foreign country may make his testamentary dispositions by private deed, as prescribed in Article 970, or by authentic instrument, with the forms customary in the place where this instrument is made.

Wills made in a foreign country may not be executed on property situated in France until they have been registered at the office of the testator’s domicile, if he has retained one, otherwise at the office of his last known domicile in France; and, in the event that the will contains dispositions of immovables situated there, it must, in addition, be registered at the office of the location of these…

The formalities to which the various wills are subject by the provisions of this and the preceding section must be observed on pain of invalidity.