Text of the provision

Art. 50. For the exercise of civil rights and the fulfillment of civil obligations, the domicile of natural persons is the place of their habitual residence.

(40a)

Civil Code of the Philippines, Republic Act No. 386, approved June 18, 1949, effective August 30, 1950. Reproduced in full; verified verbatim against the LawPhil and ChanRobles official-text renderings.

What this article means

For civil purposes, a person's domicile is the place of their habitual residence — where they actually and permanently make their home, with the intention to remain (animus manendi). Domicile fixes venue, the place of performing obligations, and other legal incidents. It is not lost by temporary absence; a new domicile requires actual removal plus the intent to abandon the old one and stay in the new.

Related provisions

Cases interpreting this article

Note. The text of the provision above is reproduced in full from the official enactment (Republic Act No. 386), verified against the LawPhil and ChanRobles renderings. The annotation and commentary around it are the work of Vivas & Nobles Law Office and are general legal information, not legal advice. How a provision applies to a particular situation depends on facts that only a lawyer reviewing your case can assess.