Habitual Residence

Habitual residence is a factual concept used in international private law and tax law to describe the country where a person ordinarily lives on a settled basis. It is determined by examining the frequency, regularity, and duration of stays in a particular country, along with other factors indicating a stable centre of life. The concept is used in EU regulations governing family law disputes, succession, and social security entitlements. Habitual residence differs from domicile, which has stricter legal requirements and an element of permanence of intention.