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Practical FAQ · Administrative status

Is Reunion Island a DOM or TOM? A DROM since 1946, status explained

Reunion Island is neither a TOM (a category that disappeared in 2003) nor a simple DOM, but a DROM: an overseas department and region. Terminology, applicable law and how it differs from mainland France.

DROM since 1946Article 73 of the ConstitutionOMR of the European Union
Updated October 2026
The key point

Reunion Island is a DROM, not a TOM. TOM status was removed from French law by the 2003 constitutional revision. No French territory holds TOM status today. For the island's geography, see the size of Reunion Island.

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Reunion Island became a French department on 19 March 1946, alongside Martinique, Guadeloupe and French Guiana, through the departmentalisation law championed notably by Aimé Césaire and Raymond Vergès. Before that date, the island had been a French colony since 1665, aside from a brief British interlude from 1810 to 1815.

Since the constitutional revision of 28 March 2003, the official term is DROM(overseas department and region), since the island is both a department and a single-department region. The term DOM is still widely used in the press and everyday language, but it's a shorthand: officially, DROM is more precise.

TOM status (overseas territory) disappeared in 2003. No French territory holds this status today. It was replaced by COMs (overseas collectivities, Article 74 of the Constitution) and by special statuses. Reunion Island was never a TOM: it moved directly from colony to department in 1946.

As a result: French law applies automatically in Reunion Island, with the same rights, duties and public services as in mainland France. The euro, social security, labour law, civil law, criminal law, elections. The rest of this page covers the terminology, a table of statuses, practical implications, and the special case of the TAAF, administered from Saint-Pierre.

An aerial view of Reunion Island's west coast: turquoise lagoon, coral reef, a built-up shoreline, evidence of the DROM's integration into the Republic
French territory

Reunion Island, a French department in the Indian Ocean

Terminology and overview

The statuses of France's overseas territories

Four legal categories for twelve overseas territories. Here's where Reunion Island fits (DROM) and what sets the other categories apart.

DROM

Article 73 of the Constitution
Reunion Island
Territories covered
  • Reunion Island
  • Martinique
  • Guadeloupe
  • French Guiana
  • Mayotte

French laws and regulations apply automatically, with adaptations possible to account for local constraints. The euro, social security, French courts.

COM

Article 74 of the Constitution
Territories covered
  • French Polynesia
  • Saint-Barthélemy
  • Saint-Martin
  • Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon
  • Wallis-et-Futuna

A bespoke status set out by organic law. Their own areas of authority, sometimes a separate currency (the Pacific franc in Polynesia and Wallis-et-Futuna).

Special status

Articles 76-77 (New Caledonia) / specific law
Territories covered
  • New Caledonia (sui generis)
  • French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF)
  • Clipperton

New Caledonia: a transitional status stemming from the Nouméa Accords. TAAF and Clipperton: territories with no permanent population, administered directly.

TOM (abandoned)

Abolished by the 2003 constitutional revision
Territories covered
  • Status abolished

No French territory holds TOM status any more. The category was replaced by COMs and special statuses. Reunion Island was never a TOM.

Practical implications

What DROM status changes (or doesn't) day to day

Six key areas to understand concretely what it means to be a French department when living in or travelling to Reunion Island.

Citizenship

In Reunion Island: Full French citizenship. Votes in presidential, parliamentary, European and municipal elections. 7 MPs and 4 senators.
In mainland France: Identical. No legal distinction between Reunion Islanders and mainlanders.

Currency

In Reunion Island: The euro (€) is legal tender. Same banks, same payment methods.
In mainland France: Identical. No conversion needed. Compare this with Polynesia or Wallis, which use the Pacific franc (XPF).

Social security

In Reunion Island: The standard French system applies automatically. CPAM (health insurance), CAF (family benefits), pensions and unemployment insurance are all present and active.
In mainland France: Identical. Health insurance cards work everywhere, doctors are reimbursed under the French fee schedule.

Applicable law

In Reunion Island: The French civil code, criminal code and labour code apply. Plus the octroi de mer (a local import tax).
In mainland France: Identical, but without the octroi de mer. The LODEOM (law for the economic development of the overseas territories) doesn't apply in mainland France.

Border

In Reunion Island: No visa or customs on arrival for French and EU citizens: an ID card is enough. Flights from Paris count as domestic.
In mainland France: No difference. For a French traveller, Reunion Island is treated just like Marseille or Toulouse in terms of formalities.

European representation

In Reunion Island: An outermost region (OMR) of the EU. Votes in European elections, access to ERDF, ESF and EAFRD funds.
In mainland France: A standard region. The same European rights, without the OMR dimension that specifically funds infrastructure and agriculture.
An aerial view of the Dolomieu crater at Piton de la Fournaise above a sea of clouds, illustrating the physical territory of the Reunion Island department
Article 73

The Constitution applies automatically in Reunion Island

A special case

The TAAF, administered from Saint-Pierre

Reunion Island hosts the administration of another French territory: the French Southern and Antarctic Lands, located thousands of kilometres further south in the Indian Ocean and Antarctica.

What makes up the TAAF

Five districts: the Kerguelen, Crozet, Saint-Paul and Amsterdam islands, plus Adélie Land in Antarctica. Along with the Scattered Islands archipelago in the Mozambique Channel (Tromelin, Glorioso, Juan de Nova, Bassas da India, Europa). Total area: around 439,800km², mostly maritime.

No permanent population, only rotating scientists and military personnel.

The link with Reunion Island

The seat of the TAAF's administrator-prefect is in Saint-Pierre (Reunion Island). Supply ships (the Marion Dufresne) depart from Reunion Island to resupply the scientific bases. The island thus serves as a logistics hub towards Antarctica and the southern islands.

The TAAF's legal status: a sui generis territory, neither a DROM nor a COM.
Official sources

Check the applicable law

Three official resources to go further: the Constitution, the Reunion Island Prefecture, the government's overseas portal.

The French Constitution

Articles 72 to 76 on local authorities and overseas territories.

View →

Reunion Island Prefecture

Administrative procedures, state services, administrative structure.

View →

Service-public.fr

Rights of French citizens living overseas: healthcare, taxation, procedures.

View →
Frequently asked questions

Reunion Island's status, in practice

Is Reunion Island a DOM or a TOM?
Reunion Island is a DROM (overseas department and region), following the departmentalisation law of 19 March 1946. The term TOM (overseas territory) disappeared from French law with the constitutional revision of 28 March 2003. Reunion Island was never a TOM. The term DOM is still commonly used, but the official term has been DROM since 2003.
What's the difference between DOM and DROM?
DOM stands for 'département d'outre-mer' (overseas department), while DROM stands for 'département et région d'outre-mer' (overseas department and region). DROM is the more precise term, since it captures that Reunion Island is both a department and a region. It's a single-department region, like Martinique, Guadeloupe and French Guiana. Mayotte has also been a DROM since 2011. In everyday use, DOM and DROM refer to the same thing.
What are France's overseas territories?
France has 12 overseas territories. Five DROMs (Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Reunion Island, Mayotte), five COMs (French Polynesia, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint-Martin, Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, Wallis-et-Futuna), and three special statuses (New Caledonia, the French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Clipperton). Around 2.8 million people in total.
Since when has Reunion Island been French?
The island was claimed for France in 1638 and colonised from 1665 by the French East India Company. It remained French without interruption except between 1810 and 1815, when it was briefly under British rule. Having become a colony in 1815, it moved from colonial status to department status on 19 March 1946, through a law championed notably by Aimé Césaire and Raymond Vergès.
Do you need a visa to visit Reunion Island?
No, for French and EU citizens: a national ID card is enough, since Reunion Island is a French department just like Corsica or the Aveyron. Non-EU citizens should note that Reunion Island is outside the Schengen area and has its own French overseas entry rules, so check whether you need a visa before travelling.
Is the euro the currency in Reunion Island?
Yes, the euro has been legal tender in Reunion Island since 1 January 2002, as everywhere in France. ATMs, shops and banks work exactly as in mainland France. This is different from French Polynesia, Wallis-et-Futuna and New Caledonia, which use the Pacific franc (XPF, pegged to the euro).
Why is Reunion Island called an outermost region?
Reunion Island is one of the nine outermost regions (OMRs) of the European Union, a status set out in Article 349 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU. OMRs are European territories geographically distant from the continent, which benefit from adapted EU rules and access to the ERDF, ESF and EAFRD structural funds. The other French OMRs are Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Mayotte and Saint-Martin.
Do Reunion Islanders vote for the President of the Republic?
Yes, like every French citizen. Reunion Island has 7 parliamentary constituencies (7 MPs in the National Assembly) and 4 senators. At every presidential election, polling stations open on Saturday evening local time (to align with the national Sunday rule, given the 4-hour time difference with Paris).
Are there any tax specifics in Reunion Island?
Yes, several. The octroi de mer is a local tax applied to imports and local production, collected for the benefit of local authorities. VAT is 8.5% instead of 20% in mainland France for the standard rate, and 2.1% instead of 5.5% for the reduced rate. Overseas tax breaks (the Girardin law, LODEOM) offer specific advantages for investors.
Does French social security work in Reunion Island?
Yes, fully. The CGSS Réunion (General Social Security Fund) manages health insurance, pensions, family benefits and contribution collection. Health insurance cards work as normal. Doctors, dentists and healthcare facilities follow the national fee schedule, with the same reimbursement rates as in mainland France.
Is there a movement to change Reunion Island's status?
A marginal one. A few political movements promote the idea of broader autonomy or independence (LPLP, Lorganizasyon Popilèr), with an associated flag. But these positions remain a small minority in public opinion. The island's main political parties, on both the left and the right, support keeping the DROM status within the French Republic.
What role does Reunion Island play for the Southern Lands?
A distinctive one. The French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF, a special status territory) comprise the Kerguelen, Crozet, Saint-Paul and Amsterdam islands, plus Adélie Land. They are administered from Saint-Pierre, in Reunion Island, by a prefect administratively attached to the island. Reunion Island therefore hosts part of the management of French territories located thousands of kilometres further south.
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Page updated October 2026.