Shams free zone company setup: license from AED 5,760 a year
A Shams free zone license costs AED 5,760 a year with a flexi-desk in Sharjah Media City, issued in under 60 minutes. Our packages start at AED 2,150.
Shams Sharjah
- AED 5,760 Media license a year, VAT included
- 60 Minutes at most to the license
- 50 Visas on one license, at most
Shams free zone: what Sharjah Media City is and who founded it
2017Sharjah Media City
Shams is the short name of Sharjah Media City, a free zone that the Ruler of Sharjah established by Emiri decree in 2017 for media and creative work. It covers more than 2 million square metres in Al Messaned and today licenses consulting, IT, e-commerce and trading companies alongside studios and agencies.
100%Foreign-owned, licensed by its zone
A free zone company in the UAE is registered and licensed by the authority of its zone, here Shams. A foreigner owns 100% of it, it carries out the activities written on the license, and it sponsors residence visas for the owner and the staff.
from AED 5,760An LLC with a flexi-desk
Shams registers the company as an LLC. Its license costs from AED 5,760 a year for media activities to AED 6,885 for any others, VAT included, each with a flexi-desk and a lease. The emirate's other zones and its mainland are on our page about business setup in Sharjah.
Shams issues a license in under 60 minutes from a complete application.
Shams free zone license cost: Media AED 5,760, Standard AED 6,885
Our fee for the company and the accounting are before VAT, and the company fee is one of three packages: Smart AED 2,150, Business AED 5,450 or VIP AED 9,350. Shams quotes its packages with VAT inside, and they are paid to Shams at cost. It charges the e-channel registration fee separately where it applies, and an external approval may apply to some activities.
Company in a free zone, our Smart package
from AED 2,150Get a quote- Media package: 5 media activities, desk, lease
- AED 5,760
- Standard package: any 5 activities, desk, lease
- AED 6,885
- Media license with one visa, first year
- AED 11,760–14,760
- One visa with its fees, as Shams estimates
- AED 6,000–9,000
- E-channel registration, where it applies
- charged separately
- Accounting, a month
- from AED 1,300
What clients write about Legarithm
4.8 on Google from 26 reviews.
We had long been looking for someone to register a company in the UAE and help with the account. With Legarithm it went as it should: a clear process, help with the documents, no red tape.
Everything is well coordinated and clear. Half an hour of the first meeting was more useful than two weeks of trying to work it out myself.
What the Shams Media and Standard packages include
Media takes up to 5 media activities: advertising, production, publishing, content. Standard takes any 5 from a list of more than 1,000, so consulting, software and online sales fit one company.
Shams issues the license to an LLC that you own 100%. The standard packages take 1 to 10 shareholders, with no local partner and no letter of no objection from a current sponsor.
Both packages carry a flexi-desk, a shared desk in Sharjah Media City that serves as the registered office, and the lease agreement a bank asks to see.
A license holds up to 50 visas. You begin with none and add one when the owner or a new employee needs it.
Shams accepts monthly instalments through its partner banks and pay-later services, which spreads the first year.
Who sets up in Shams, and who takes another zone
- Media and creative studios
- Production houses, agencies, photographers and content studios take the Media package, the lowest fee in the zone.
- Freelancers and consultants
- One person who bills clients abroad gets a company of their own for AED 6,885 a year and adds a visa when it is wanted.
- Online sellers and IT teams
- A Standard license joins e-commerce, software and marketing, and the team's visas arrive one by one.
- Sellers who also want a mainland license
- SPC Free Zone, also in Sharjah, pairs its license with one from the Sharjah mainland.
- A Dubai address, or goods to store
- When your clients expect Dubai on the license, take Meydan Free Zone at AED 12,500 a year. Stock and production go to RAKEZ, which rents warehouses and land.
First year, visas and renewal of a Shams license
The license is paid by the year. With a flexi-desk inside the package there is no office rent, so the first year comes down to the package and the visas.
| Shams fee | Case | What it buys |
|---|---|---|
| AED 5,760 | Media license, no visa | License, 5 media activities, desk and lease |
| AED 6,885 | Standard license, no visa | License, any 5 activities, desk and lease |
| AED 11,760–14,760 | Media license and one visa | The license fee plus Shams's estimate for one visa |
| AED 12,885–15,885 | Standard license and one visa | The same sum on the Standard fee |
| AED 6,000–9,000 | Each visa after that | Shams's own estimate for a visa with its fees |
from AED 1,450Our fee for the residence visa itself
Our fee for the residence visa itself is from AED 1,450, as on our UAE price list. Shams's higher estimate is for the visa together with the zone's fees that come with it, and the zone is paid at cost. A visa is renewed on its own date, every 2 years.
AED 5,760To renew the Media package, as in year one
Renewal repeats the license fee: AED 5,760 for the Media package or AED 6,885 for the Standard one at the price list of October 2026. We write to you ahead of the license date and renew it.
Shams compared with SPC, Ajman Free Zone and RAKEZ
| Compared | Shams | SPC Free Zone | Ajman Free Zone | RAKEZ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emirate | Sharjah | Sharjah | Ajman | Ras Al Khaimah |
| License a year, from | AED 5,760 | AED 5,750 | AED 5,555 | AED 6,000 |
| Known for | Media and services | E-commerce and publishing | Trade through Ajman port | Warehouses and industry |
| Visas | Up to 50 | No cap on a flexi-desk | Up to 15, by workspace | 1 in Lite, up to 4 in All-Inclusive |
| Time to the license | under 60 minutes | 1 day | 1 to 2 working days | 5 minutes |
SPC Free Zone company setup Ajman Free Zone company formation RAKEZ free zone company setup
Tax, the bank and the mainland for a Shams company
0%On qualifying income, for a qualifying person
For corporate tax a Shams company counts as a Free Zone Person, and we register it with the Federal Tax Authority in the first weeks. It holds the 0% rate on qualifying income while it stays a Qualifying Free Zone Person (QFZP). Income outside that is taxed at 9%.
5%The most other revenue a 0% company may earn
A Qualifying Free Zone Person keeps staff, spending and assets in the country that fit the business. Its non-qualifying revenue stays below the lower of 5% of the total and AED 5 million, its accounts are audited, and it deals with related companies at arm's-length prices.
9%A Shams company that does not qualify
A company that does not qualify pays nothing on the first AED 375,000 of taxable income and 9% beyond it. We file its VAT registration in the UAE once turnover reaches AED 375,000, or from AED 187,500 at your choice. VAT is charged at 5%.
2 to 4 weeksUsually to an open bank account
Shams keeps representatives of Sharjah Islamic Bank and RAKBANK in its office and gives each new company a list of banks. We prepare the application for the business bank account in the UAE, and the account is usually open within 2 to 4 weeks.
2 routesTo customers on the mainland for a Shams company
The license covers sales abroad and to free-zone companies. For customers on the mainland the company has 2 routes: it opens a branch or a subsidiary with the mainland authority's approval, or sells through a distributor.
Shams company formation, step by step
- day 11
Package and three names
You describe the business and give three names in order of preference. We choose Media or Standard, fix the number of visas and reserve the name.
- 1–2 days2
Documents
You upload a passport copy and a photo for each owner in your account. We complete the registration and file it with Shams.
- under 60 minutes3
License and lease
Shams issues the license in the company's name together with the lease for the flexi-desk.
- 1–3 weeks4
Immigration file and visas
We open the establishment card, the company's immigration file, then take each person through the entry permit, the medical test, the Emirates ID and the visa.
- 2–4 weeks5
Tax number and bank file
We register for corporate tax and hand the bank a complete application.
Documents for Shams business setup
Documents
From every owner and the manager
- Passport copy
- Photo on a white background
- Address proof under 3 months old
- UAE visa page or entry stamp, if any
- A short summary of the business
When a company is the owner
- Certificate of incorporation
- Certificate of good standing
- Memorandum and articles
- Register of directors and shareholders
- Board resolution for the Shams company
- ID and address of each beneficial owner (UBO)
You send them in your account. We check each document the day it arrives and tell you what is missing.
See the platformQuestions about Shams free zone company setup
What is Shams free zone?
Sharjah Media City, a free zone set up by Emiri decree in 2017 in Al Messaned, Sharjah. It licenses media, consulting, IT, e-commerce and trading companies that foreigners own 100%.
How much does a Shams free zone license cost?
AED 5,760 a year for the Media package and AED 6,885 for Standard, VAT included, each with up to 5 activities, a flexi-desk and a lease. With one visa the first year on the Standard fee comes to AED 12,885 to 15,885.
How much does it cost to renew a Shams license?
The yearly package fee again: AED 5,760 for Media, AED 6,885 for Standard, VAT included. Visas are renewed on their own dates.
What is a free zone company in the UAE?
A company whose license comes from a free zone authority, such as Shams, in place of the economic department of an emirate. Our guide free zone vs mainland in the UAE sets the two kinds side by side, and our page about a free zone company in the UAE compares the zones.
How many visas can a Shams company get?
Up to 50 on one license, added one at a time. Shams puts a visa with its fees at AED 6,000 to 9,000, so a Media license with one visa comes to AED 11,760 to 14,760 in the first year.
Does a Shams company need an office?
No. The flexi-desk and the lease in the package are its registered office in Sharjah Media City.
Can a Shams company trade on the UAE mainland?
Through a branch, a subsidiary or a distributor, and we arrange each. The license itself covers sales abroad and to free-zone companies.
How long does a Shams license take?
The license takes under 60 minutes from a complete application. Each visa then takes 1 to 3 weeks, and the bank account 2 to 4 weeks.
Get a quote for your UAE company
Book a 30-minute call about your company
Your consultant Vladyslav Babaiev Opens in a new tab Business Setup Specialist
- We email you the Google Meet link.
- 30 minutes, free, no obligation to order.
- After the call we email you the checklist of documents for your country.
We reply by the end of the next working day with the cost and the dates for your case. The first call is free and confidential.
Other free zones and emirates
Dubai
packages from AED 2,150 Business setup in Dubai
Business setup in Abu Dhabi
from AED 1,200 ADDED license with 6 activities
ADGM company formation
AED 6,978 ADGM's fees to register a holding SPV
Ajman Media City
AED 4,999 Business Club license for a year
Ajman NuVentures
AED 4,888 Zero-visa package for a year
Ajman Free Zone
from AED 5,555 E-commerce license package a year
Dubai CommerCity
from AED 2,150 Our packages, the licence at cost
Fujairah Creative City
AED 3,999 Media package for a year, no visa
Dubai Airport Free Zone
from AED 15,000 Trade or service license a year
DIFC company setup
AED 44,070 Commercial license a year, non-retail
DMCC Free Zone
AED 35,484 Basic Biz package: license and flexi-desk
Dubai South Free Zone
AED 12,500 License with a flexi-desk, a year
DWTC Free Zone
from AED 12,000 DWTC license, valid one year
Fujairah Free Zone
from AED 2,150 Company through us, Smart package
Hamriyah Free Zone
AED 11,000 Basic cost of a license, as the zone states
IFZA Free Zone
AED 12,900 License a year with no visa
JAFZA offshore company
AED 10,000 JAFZA fee to register, paid once
JAFZA Free Zone
from AED 5,000 JAFZA license fee a year
KEZAD Free Zone
from AED 9,450 Start-up package a year, VAT included
Masdar City Free Zone
AED 7,000 Startup package: license, 2 activities
Meydan Free Zone
AED 12,500 Meydan's license fee a year, desk included
RAK ICC offshore company
AED 3,250 Registry fee to incorporate, first year
RAKEZ Free Zone
AED 6,000 Basic license a year: 1 activity, no visa
SAIF Zone
from AED 2,150 Company through us, Smart package
Sharjah free zones
from AED 5,750 Free-zone license a year
SPC Free Zone
from AED 5,750 SPC license fee a year
Umm Al Quwain Free Zone
AED 5,500 UAQ LYTE: license a year, no visa
Compare the free zones
Cost, visas and office, side by sideAlso for a company in the UAE
Investor visa in Dubai and the UAE
A 2-year residence visa through your company, our fee from AED 1,450, 1 to 3 weeks after the license
OpenBusiness bank account in the UAE
Six accounts compared by balance and fee, 2 to 4 weeks from a complete application
OpenAccounting services in Dubai and the UAE
IFRS books, VAT and corporate tax returns from AED 1,300 a month
OpenCompany formation in the UAE
Free zone, mainland and offshore: our packages from AED 2,150, licenses at cost
OpenGuides to a company in the UAE
All guides to a company in the UAE
Updated 9 November 2026. Reviewed by Vladyslav Drapii, Founder.
