DOM-TOM

Introduction

Like many European nations, France undertook colonial expansion during the 18th and 19th centuries. While many French colonial holdings became independent during the global decolonization movement of the late 20th century, there are a number that remain part of France to this day. 

Because of this, you might be doing business with France even if you operate far from continental Europe!

Category Error

Before going into more details, I want to be clear that the terminology of how these regions are categorized is a huge mess. Chalk it up to decades of "strategic ambiguity" regarding post-colonial status. 

The category names have also evolved over time. For example Saint Pierre and Miquelon (small islands in the northern Atlantic) were called an "overseas department" from 1976–85 (the islands are separate but comprise one polity); "sui generis overseas territory" from 1985–2003; then "overseas collectivity" since 2003...but the formal name of the region is collectivité territoriale de Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, literally "territorial collectivity".

As of 2025 there are five high-level categories:

1. Overseas Region (French laws and regulations fully apply, local administrators can only adapt laws but not create new)

2. Overseas Collectivity (local administrators empowered to create laws except certain categories such as defense)

3. Sui Generis Collectivity (unique status for New Caledonia)

4. Overseas Territory (some uninhabited islands in the Antarctic and Indian oceans)

5. Special Status (an uninhabited atoll in the Pacific ocean + some holdings in Israel/Palestine)

Focusing on the first three, collectively these areas are referred to as "overseas departments" (« départements d'outre‐mer » / DOM) + "overseas territories" (« territoires d'outre‐mer » / TOM), together « départements et territoires d'outre‐mer » or DOM-TOM. 

So is it France? Europe?

Unlike Monaco, the DOM-TOM is part of France. 

Someone born in a DOM-TOM region should (mostly) have the same citizenship rights as someone born in Paris. Someone with French health insurance should (mostly) be covered at a healthcare facility.

I say (mostly) because, as with everything French, there are details and complexity. For example healthcare, your mutuelle might not work if your plan is only valid in mainland France (« France Métropolitain »). 

Also, some DOM-TOM regions are part of the EU single market, but others are not. However, even if a region is not part of the single market, its inhabitants are still EU citizens and carry EU passports.

Conclusion

Depending on where in the world your business operates, you may be surprised to learn that you are dealing with France! For example, if you do business in the Caribbean and need to hire staff in Guadeloupe, they are subject to French labor laws. And if you are exporting products to Réunion (a small island in the Indian ocean between Mauritius and Madagascar), your products need to comply with EU regulations.

For more information regarding EU status of overseas territories, here is a (french-language) explainer from the French government.

For more insights about doing business in France, don't hesitate to get in contact.

Au revoir !