Domestication of non-United States entities.
Del. Code tit. 6, § 15-904
in effect(a) As used in this section and in § 15-105 of this title, “non-United States entity” means a foreign limited partnership (other than 1 formed under the laws of a state) (including a foreign limited liability limited partnership (other than 1 formed under the laws of a state)), or a corporation, a statutory trust, a business trust, an association, a real estate investment trust, a common-law trust or any other incorporated or unincorporated business or entity, including a general partnership (including a limited liability partnership) or a limited liability company, formed, incorporated, created or that otherwise came into being under the laws of any foreign country or other foreign jurisdiction (other than any state).
(b) Any non-United States entity may become domesticated as a partnership (including a limited liability partnership) in the State of Delaware by complying with subsection (g) of this section and filing with the Secretary of State in accordance with § 15-105 of this title:
(1) A certificate of partnership domestication that has been executed in accordance with § 15-105 of this title;
(2) A statement of partnership existence that complies with § 15-303 of this title and has been executed in accordance with § 15-105 of this title; and
(3) In the case of a domestication as a limited liability partnership, a statement of qualification in accordance with § 15-1001(c) of this title.
The certificate and the statements required by this subsection (b) of this section shall be filed simultaneously with the Secretary of State and, if such certificate and such statements are not to become effective upon their filing as permitted by § 15-105(h) of this title, then such certificate and such statements shall provide for the same effective date or time in accordance with § 15-105(h) of this title.
(c) The certificate of partnership domestication shall state:
(1) The date on which and jurisdiction where the non-United States entity was first formed, incorporated, created or otherwise came into being;
(2) The name of the non-United States entity immediately prior to the filing of the certificate of partnership domestication;
(3) The name of the partnership as set forth in the statement of partnership existence filed in accordance with subsection (b) of this section;
(4) The future effective date or time (which shall be a date or time certain) of the domestication as a partnership if it is not to be effective upon the filing of the certificate of partnership domestication and the statement of partnership existence;
(5) The jurisdiction that constituted the seat, siege social, or principal place of business or central administration of the non-United States entity, or any other equivalent thereto under applicable law, immediately prior to the filing of the certificate of partnership domestication;
(6) That the domestication has been approved in the manner provided for by the document, instrument, agreement or other writing, as the case may be, governing the internal affairs of the non-United States entity and the conduct of its business or by applicable non-Delaware law, as appropriate; and
(7) In the case of a domestication as a limited liability partnership, that the partnership agreement of the partnership states that the partnership shall be a limited liability partnership.
(d) Upon the filing with the Secretary of State of the certificate of partnership domestication, the statement of partnership existence and the statement of qualification (if applicable) or upon the future effective date or time of the certificate of partnership domestication, the statement of partnership existence and the statement of qualification (if applicable), the non-United States entity shall be domesticated as a partnership (including a limited liability partnership, if applicable) in the State of Delaware and the partnership shall thereafter be subject to all of the provisions of this chapter, provided that the existence of the partnership shall be deemed to have commenced on the date the non-United States entity commenced its existence in the jurisdiction in which the non-United States entity was first formed, incorporated, created or otherwise came into being.
(e) The domestication of any non-United States entity as a partnership (including a limited liability partnership) in the State of Delaware shall not be deemed to affect any obligations or liabilities of the non-United States entity incurred prior to its domestication as a partnership in the State of Delaware, or the personal liability of any person therefor.
(f) The filing of a certificate of partnership domestication shall not affect the choice of law applicable to the non-United States entity, except that from the effective date or time of the domestication, the laws of the State of Delaware, including the provisions of this chapter, shall apply to the non-United States entity to the same extent as if the non-United States entity had been formed as a partnership on that date.
(g) Prior to the time a certificate of partnership domestication becomes effective as provided in this chapter, the domestication shall be approved in the manner provided for by the document, instrument, agreement or other writing, as the case may be, governing the internal affairs of the non-United States entity and the conduct of its business or by applicable non-Delaware law, as appropriate, and a partnership agreement shall be approved by the same authorization required to approve the domestication; provided that, in the event the continuing domestic partnership is not a limited liability partnership, such approval shall include the approval of any person who, at the effective date or time of the domestication, shall be a partner of the partnership.
(h) When any domestication shall have become effective under this section, for all purposes of the laws of the State of Delaware, all of the rights, privileges and powers of the non-United States entity that has been domesticated, and all property, real, personal and mixed, and all debts due to such non-United States entity, as well as all other things and causes of action belonging to such non-United States entity, shall remain vested in the domestic partnership to which such non-United States entity has been domesticated (and also in the non-United States entity, if and for so long as the non-United States entity continues its existence in the foreign jurisdiction in which it was existing immediately prior to the domestication) and shall be the property of such domestic partnership (and also of the non-United States entity, if and for so long as the non-United States entity continues its existence in the foreign jurisdiction in which it was existing immediately prior to the domestication), and the title to any real property vested by deed or otherwise in such non-United States entity shall not revert or be in any way impaired by reason of this chapter; but all rights of creditors and all liens upon any property of such non-United States entity shall be preserved unimpaired, and all debts, liabilities and duties of the non-United States entity that has been domesticated shall remain attached to the domestic partnership to which such non-United States entity has been domesticated (and also to the non-United States entity, if and for so long as the non-United States entity continues its existence in the foreign jurisdiction in which it was existing immediately prior to the domestication), and may be enforced against it to the same extent as if said debts, liabilities and duties had originally been incurred or contracted by it in its capacity as a domestic partnership. The rights, privileges, powers and interests in property of the non-United States entity, as well as the debts, liabilities and duties of the non-United States entity, shall not be deemed, as a consequence of the domestication, to have been transferred to the domestic partnership to which such non-United States entity has domesticated for any purpose of the laws of the State of Delaware.
(i) When a non-United States entity has become domesticated as a domestic partnership pursuant to this section, for all purposes of the laws of the State of Delaware, the domestic partnership shall be deemed to be the same entity as the domesticating non-United States entity and the domestication shall constitute a continuation of the existence of the domesticating non-United States entity in the form of a domestic partnership. Unless otherwise agreed, for all purposes of the laws of the State of Delaware, the domesticating non-United States entity shall not be required to wind up its affairs or pay its liabilities and distribute its assets, and the domestication shall not be deemed to constitute a dissolution of such non-United States entity. If, following domestication, a non-United States entity that has become domesticated as a domestic partnership continues its existence in the foreign country or other foreign jurisdiction in which it was existing immediately prior to domestication, the domestic partnership and such non-United States entity shall, for all purposes of the laws of the State of Delaware, constitute a single entity formed, incorporated, created or otherwise having come into being, as applicable, and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware and the laws of such foreign country or other foreign jurisdiction.
(j) In connection with a domestication hereunder, rights or securities of, or interests in, the non-United States entity that is to be domesticated as a domestic partnership may be exchanged for or converted into cash, property, rights or securities of, or interests in, such domestic partnership or, in addition to or in lieu thereof, may be exchanged for or converted into cash, property, rights or securities of, or interests in, another domestic partnership or other entity, may remain outstanding or may be canceled.
(k) In connection with the domestication of a non-United States entity as a domestic partnership (including a limited liability partnership), a person is admitted as a partner of the partnership as provided in the partnership agreement. For the purpose of § 15-306(b) of this title, a person who, at the effective time or date of the domestication of any non-United States entity as a domestic partnership (including a limited liability partnership), is a partner of the partnership, shall be deemed admitted as a partner of the partnership at the effective date or time of such domestication.
Source: DE Code (Official Site)URL: https://delcode.delaware.gov/title6/c015/sc09/index.htmlFetched: 10/4/2026