Company setup in Sharjah: a SEDD mainland license in 1 to 2 weeks
We register your Sharjah mainland company and its SEDD license in 1 to 2 weeks. SEDD charges 13% of your yearly rent, from AED 1,300, and our fee starts at AED 2,150.
- 13% SEDD license fee, a share of the yearly rent
- 1–2 Weeks from your documents to the license
- from AED 2,150 Our packages, before VAT
Company setup in Sharjah on the mainland, in short
SEDDThe department that issues the license
A mainland company in Sharjah holds its license from the Sharjah Economic Development Department, SEDD. With it the company sells to customers in all seven emirates, bids for government tenders and rents premises in any licensed area of the city.
LLCThe legal forms SEDD registers
Most founders register a limited liability company, an LLC of 2 to 50 partners. SEDD also licenses branches of companies from other emirates and from abroad. A sole proprietorship is for UAE and GCC nationals. A foreign professional can work under a service agent: a UAE citizen named on the license who takes no part in management.
100%Foreign ownership since 2021
Since 2021 a foreigner can own 100% of most Sharjah mainland businesses with no local partner. SEDD keeps a short list of activities for UAE citizens. We check your activity against that list before the trade name is booked.
What company setup in Sharjah costs
Our prices are before VAT. Our fee for the company is one of three packages: Smart AED 2,150, Business AED 5,450 or VIP AED 9,350. SEDD and the other authorities are paid at cost, listed in the next section.
Sharjah mainland company with us, Smart package
from AED 2,150Get a quote- SEDD license fee for a foreign owner, 13% of the yearly rent
- from AED 1,300
- Sharjah address registration, our fee
- AED 2,200
- Residence visa for an owner or employee, our fee
- from AED 1,450
- Visa for a spouse or child, our fee
- AED 2,150
- Corporate tax registration, our fee
- AED 1,850
- Business bank account application, our fee
- from AED 1,800
- Bookkeeping and tax returns, a month
- from AED 1,300
- License renewal from the second year, our fee
- AED 2,550
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.
Sharjah business license cost: SEDD fees line by line
SEDD publishes its fees in dirhams. The license fee follows the rent, and the other lines are fixed.
| SEDD fee | AED |
|---|---|
| License, foreign owner: 13% of the yearly lease | 1,300 or more |
| Trade name in English or another foreign language | 2,250 |
| Technical evaluation of the premises | 150 |
| Signboard permit | 200 |
| Printing | 300 |
| E-services | 100 |
| Memorandum certified by Legal Affairs, each signature | from 200 |
| Service agent contract | 550 |
AED 8,200Worked example: an office at AED 40,000 a year
13% of AED 40,000 is AED 5,200. Add the English trade name at AED 2,250 and the four fixed lines of AED 750, and SEDD's bill comes to AED 8,200. The memorandum signatures, the Chamber of Commerce and the lease attestation come on top, and your quote lists them.
AED 15,000SEDD's own estimate for a first year
SEDD puts the first year of a mainland license at AED 15,000 to AED 30,000, with the license fee, registration, printing and the technical evaluation. An industrial license may be paid in instalments, 50% on issue.
Which SEDD license your Sharjah company needs
For buying and selling: general trading, food, electronics and clothing, import and export. The shop, office or warehouse must stand in an area licensed for the activity.
For services that rest on qualifications: management and financial consulting, engineering, design, IT and training. Some activities ask for a professional certificate.
For manufacturing, production and assembly in an industrial area. The municipality, the environment authority and Civil Defence approve the site first, and the fee may be paid half on issue.
For a business that sells online and through social media. It needs no physical premises, its fees are lower than a shop's, and citizens and UAE residents can hold it.
An activity with no outside approvals takes an instant license, issued within one working day. An activity that needs a sector authority's approval takes a regular license, issued in 5 to 7 business days.
Office, Sharjah tenancy attestation and visas
3 monthsA lease notarised by Sharjah City Municipality
A commercial, professional or industrial license sits on real premises. Sharjah City Municipality notarises the lease in its own system, Sharjah's counterpart of Dubai's Ejari, and SEDD wants it valid for 3 months or more after you apply. When you have no premises yet, we find an office and register your Sharjah address.
SEWAElectricity and the technical evaluation
For rented premises SEDD sends you to SEWA, the Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority, to pay the electricity deposit and the lease attestation fee. SEDD then evaluates the site for AED 150. The space it asks for follows the activity: an office needs less than a shop, and a workshop more.
VisasThe visa quota follows the premises
Visas open once the license and the establishment card with the labour ministry are in place. SEDD ties the number of visas to the activity and the size of the premises, so a larger team rents more space. We file each visa: residence visas in the UAE.
How company formation in Sharjah runs, with times
- 1–3 days1
Activity and ownership
You tell us what the business sells. We pick the activities and the license type and note any approval the activity needs.
- same day2
Trade name
We check the name on SEDD's portal, where the answer shows at once, and book it with two spare options. SEDD charges AED 250 for an Arabic name and AED 2,250 for a foreign one.
- 3–5 working days3
Premises and technical evaluation
You sign the lease, or we find the office. The municipality notarises the lease, SEWA takes the deposit, and SEDD approves the site.
- 2–4 days4
Memorandum of association
We draft the memorandum with the partners, their shares, the capital and the manager. You sign, and SEDD's Legal Affairs certifies it.
- 1–7 working days5
SEDD license
We file the license application with the approvals. SEDD issues it one working day after payment, or within 5 to 7 business days where a sector authority signs off.
- 1–4 weeks6
Establishment card, visas, tax and bank
We open the establishment card, file the visas and the corporate tax registration, and send the bank application. An account usually opens in 2 to 4 weeks.
Sharjah mainland license or a Sharjah free zone
A free zone suits a business that sells abroad and needs only a desk: all six on Sharjah free zones.
| Name | Mainland, SEDD license | Sharjah free zone |
|---|---|---|
| Customers | Anyone in the UAE, directly | Outside the UAE, or inside through a distributor or a branch |
| Government tenders | Yes | Through a mainland company |
| Premises | A lease notarised by the municipality | A desk, an office or a warehouse in the zone |
| License fee a year | 13% of the rent, AED 1,300 or more | AED 5,760 at Shams. SPC Free Zone starts at AED 5,750 |
| Goods and industry | Industrial license in an industrial area | Warehouses at SAIF Zone, plots and a port at Hamriyah Free Zone |
| Visas | By activity and floor space | By package |
| Corporate tax | 0% up to AED 375,000, 9% above | 0% on qualifying income of a Qualifying Free Zone Person |
| Time to license | 1 to 2 weeks | 1 day at SPC Free Zone, Shams and SAIF Zone |
Documents for a Sharjah mainland license
Documents
Each partner and the manager
- Passport copy, or Emirates ID for a resident
- Personal photo
- UAE residents: residence visa page
- A company as partner: its license, memorandum and board resolution, attested
- A professional activity: the certificate it asks for
The license file, which we assemble
- Trade name certificate
- Lease notarised by Sharjah City Municipality, or a title deed
- Technical evaluation approval
- Memorandum of association, certified by SEDD
- Approval of the sector authority, where the activity needs one
You send them in your account. We check each document the day it arrives and tell you what is missing.
See the platformAfter the SEDD license: tax, bank and renewal
A company set up now registers with the Federal Tax Authority within 3 months of incorporation, and a late registration costs AED 10,000. We file it with the license, and the tax is 0% up to AED 375,000 of taxable income and 9% above.
VAT at 5% becomes compulsory once sales pass AED 375,000 in 12 months, and a company may register voluntarily from AED 187,500. We watch the threshold and file.
We prepare the bank file with the license, the memorandum and the owners' passports, and stay with it until the account opens, usually in 2 to 4 weeks.
SEDD renews the license online once a year at 13% of the rent, with the Chamber of Commerce fee. The lease is renewed and notarised again. We renew up to 3 months ahead, which avoids SEDD's late fee, from AED 200 a month.
Questions about company setup in Sharjah
How much does company setup in Sharjah cost?
SEDD puts the first year of a mainland license at AED 15,000 to AED 30,000. Its license fee is 13% of the yearly rent, with a minimum of AED 1,300, and a foreign trade name adds AED 2,250. Our fee is one of three packages, from AED 2,150 before VAT.
Can a foreigner own 100% of a Sharjah mainland company?
Yes, in most activities since 2021, with no local partner. A foreign owner usually registers an LLC.
How long does it take to get a SEDD license?
SEDD issues an instant license within one working day and a regular license, for activities that need outside approvals, in 5 to 7 business days. With the name, the lease and the memorandum, the route takes 1 to 2 weeks.
Do I need an office for a Sharjah mainland license?
Yes, for a commercial, professional or industrial license: a lease notarised by Sharjah City Municipality. Ejari is Dubai's register and does not apply in Sharjah. An e-commerce license needs no premises.
Is Sharjah mainland cheaper than Dubai mainland?
On the license fee, usually yes. SEDD charges 13% of the rent, from AED 1,300, while the Dubai mainland license costs from AED 12,000 a year: company formation in Dubai sets out that route.
Can a non-resident get a business license in Sharjah?
Yes. SEDD licenses non-residents, and after the license we file your investor residence visa.
How many visas can a Sharjah mainland company get?
SEDD sets the number by the activity and the size of the premises, with no fixed ceiling. A larger office or warehouse carries more visas, and each owner can sponsor a spouse and children.
What does a Sharjah license renewal cost?
The SEDD license fee again, 13% of the yearly rent, plus the Chamber of Commerce fee and a new lease notarisation. Our renewal fee is AED 2,550, and trade license in the UAE explains the yearly cycle.
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.
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Videos about a company in the UAE
The film shows your first months with Legarithm in 74 seconds. The short videos open on YouTube.
1:43After registration: bank, taxes, free zone Opens on YouTube
2:44Structure, banking and tax residency Opens on YouTube
1:16When to set up a UAE company Opens on YouTubeUpdated 9 November 2026. Reviewed by Vladyslav Drapii, Founder.
