Sharjah free zone and mainland business setup: free-zone license from AED 5,750 a year
A Sharjah free-zone license costs from AED 5,750 a year and takes 1 to 5 working days. We set your company up from $7,000 in a zone or $8,000 on the mainland, with the license.
Sharjah Mainland and free zones
- from AED 5,750 Free-zone license a year
- 6 Free zones in the emirate of Sharjah
- 1–5 Working days to a free-zone license
Sharjah free zones and the mainland in short
6 zonesAirport, port, university, media and publishing
Sharjah has 6 free zones. SAIF Zone and Sharjah Healthcare City stand beside Sharjah International Airport, and Hamriyah Free Zone has its own deep-water port. SRTI Park sits next to University City, and Shams and SPC Free Zone are the media city and the publishing city. A company in any of them is 100% foreign-owned. Dubai is 15 to 20 minutes away by road.
AED 5,750Where a zone license starts, then the mainland
A free-zone license starts at AED 5,750 a year at SPC Free Zone and AED 5,760 at Shams. The two zones for goods, SAIF Zone and Hamriyah, price the license together with the warehouse or the plot. The mainland is the other route. The Sharjah Economic Development Department, SEDD, licenses companies that sell to customers across the UAE and bid for government tenders.
What business setup in Sharjah costs
Our prices are before VAT: the two companies with their license, the address, the visa and the accounting. The license lines are the fees of the zones and of SEDD.
Sharjah free-zone company and license with us
from $7,000Get a quote- Mainland company and license with us
- from $8,000
- SPC Free Zone license, a year
- from AED 5,750
- Shams license, a year
- from AED 5,760
- SEDD license fee: 13% of the lease value
- from AED 1,300
- SEDD signboard, printing, e-services, evaluation
- AED 750
- Sharjah address registration
- $600
- Residence visa, each
- from AED 3,000
- Accounting in the UAE, a month
- from $350
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.
The Sharjah free zones and the mainland compared
| Where to register | Location | License a year, from | Built for |
|---|---|---|---|
| SPC Free Zone | Sharjah Publishing City | AED 5,750 | Online shops, services and publishers: see SPC Free Zone |
| Shams | Sharjah Media City | AED 5,760 | Media, creative work and freelancers, up to 50 visas: see Shams free zone |
| SAIF Zone | Sharjah International Airport | in your quote | Traders and logistics firms: offices with 3, 5 or 8 visas, warehouses of 125 to 600 sq m, customs on site |
| Hamriyah Free Zone | The coast, at its own port | from AED 11,000 | Industry and heavy trade, plots from 2,500 sq m: see Hamriyah Free Zone |
| SRTI Park | Next to University City | in your quote | Research, laboratories and technology pilots |
| Sharjah Healthcare City | Near the airport | in your quote | Hospitals, clinics and medical laboratories |
| Mainland, SEDD license | Anywhere in the emirate | 13% of the rent, AED 1,300 or more | Shops, contractors and firms that sell inside the UAE |
What a company in Sharjah gives you
In all six free zones, and on the mainland for most activities, with no local sponsor.
Commercial for trade, professional or service for expertise, industrial for production. The mainland adds an electronic trading license for a business that sells online and keeps no premises.
A desk is enough for a service company in a free zone. SAIF Zone and Hamriyah lease warehouses and industrial land, and on the mainland we register your Sharjah address.
The package sets the number in a free zone, and the size of the office sets it on the mainland. Owners and staff qualify, and each sponsors a family.
Sharjah is 15 to 20 minutes from Dubai by road, so the same clients, banks and airports stay within reach.
A Sharjah mainland license from SEDD: types, fee and time
4 licensesCommercial, professional, industrial, online
SEDD issues 4 licenses: commercial, professional and industrial to a business with premises, and an electronic trading license to one that sells online. Its instant license lets a plain activity start within one day.
13%The fee follows the rent
The license fee follows the rent. For a foreign owner it is 13% of the yearly lease value and never less than AED 1,300. Four fixed lines come on top: the signboard permit, printing, e-services and the technical evaluation.
1 to 2 weeksHow long the mainland route takes
Once the lease, the trade name and any approval from a sector authority are ready, SEDD issues the license in one working day. Counted from your first documents, the mainland route takes 1 to 2 weeks.
| Example: an office rented at AED 20,000 a year | AED |
|---|---|
| License fee, 13% of the lease | 2,600 |
| Signboard permit | 200 |
| Printing | 300 |
| E-services | 100 |
| Technical evaluation | 150 |
| Paid to SEDD in all | 3,350 |
A license renewed after its expiry date costs AED 200 more for every month of delay. We renew before the date.
Company formation in Sharjah, step by step
- 1–3 days1
Free zone or mainland
You tell us who your customers are and whether you hold stock. We name the zone or the mainland license that fits and reserve the trade name.
- 2–4 days2
Documents and initial approval
You upload passports and sign the forms in your account. We file them and obtain the initial approval.
- then3
Desk, warehouse or lease
We book the desk or the warehouse in the zone. On the mainland we sign the lease and have it certified.
- 1–5 working days4
License
A free-zone license is expected within 1 to 5 working days of the application, a mainland license within 1 to 2 weeks.
- 2 to 4 weeks5
Visas, tax and bank
We file the visas, register the company with the Federal Tax Authority and send the application for a business bank account in the UAE. An account usually opens in 2 to 4 weeks.
How to get a Sharjah free zone visa
Your Sharjah company sponsors the visa, whichever zone it sits in. A residence visa costs from AED 3,000.
1 to 3 weeksFrom the license to the visa, in 4 steps
- We open the establishment card, the company's file with the immigration service.
- We apply for the entry permit, or for a change of status when you are already in the UAE.
- You take the medical test and give fingerprints for the Emirates ID on one visit.
- The residence visa is issued 1 to 3 weeks after the license, and on it you sponsor your spouse and children.
Up to 50How many visas each zone allows
| Shams, on one license | up to 50 |
|---|---|
| SAIF Zone, with an office | 3, 5 or 8 |
| Hamriyah, by package | 1 to 12 |
| Mainland | grows with the office |
Our page on the residence visa lists the documents for each person.
Documents for a company in Sharjah
Documents
Each owner and director
- Passport copy
- Photo on a white background
- Home address proof, 3 months old at most
- UAE residents: visa page and Emirates ID
- Employees in the UAE: the employer's no-objection letter
- A company as shareholder: its incorporation papers, attested
A mainland license also needs
- Trade name certificate
- Certified lease contract or title deed
- 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 platformQuestions about Sharjah free zone and mainland business setup
How much does a free zone license cost in Sharjah?
From AED 5,750 a year: SPC Free Zone charges that, and Shams AED 5,760. Both renew at the same fee. Hamriyah starts at AED 11,000. Our comparison of 22 UAE free zones sets Sharjah beside the other emirates.
Where are the Sharjah free zones located?
SAIF Zone and Sharjah Healthcare City are by Sharjah International Airport and Hamriyah Free Zone is on the coast at its port. SRTI Park is next to University City, and Shams and SPC Free Zone are in the media city and the publishing city.
Is Sharjah cheaper than Dubai for a company?
On the license, yes: from AED 5,750 a year in Sharjah against AED 12,500 at the Dubai zones Meydan and IFZA. Our page on a free zone company in the UAE has the full table.
Sharjah mainland or free zone: which to choose?
The mainland to sell to customers inside the UAE and bid for tenders. A free zone for export, online business and manufacturing, at a lower license fee. The choice is worked through case by case in free zone vs mainland in the UAE.
What company types can I register in Sharjah?
An LLC on the mainland. In a free zone, an FZE with one shareholder, an FZC with two or more, or a branch of a company you already own.
What tax does a Sharjah company pay?
Corporate tax at 0% on the first AED 375,000 of taxable income and 9% above. A free-zone company with Qualifying Free Zone Person (QFZP) status pays 0% on its qualifying income. VAT is 5%, and VAT registration in the UAE is compulsory from AED 375,000 of turnover.
Can I live in Dubai with a Sharjah company visa?
Yes. The visa is a UAE residence visa, valid for living in every emirate.
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
from $7,000 Company formation in Dubai
Business setup in Abu Dhabi
from AED 1,200 ADDED license with 6 activities
ADGM company formation
$1,900 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
In your quote Company with its license
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
$12,000 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 $7,000 Company with its license, through us
Hamriyah Free Zone
AED 11,000 Basic cost of a license, as the zone states
IFZA Free Zone
about AED 12,500 License a year with a flexi-desk
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
In your quote Company with its license
Shams Free Zone
AED 5,760 Media license a year, VAT included
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
Mainland company in the UAE
The mainland license in Dubai and the other emirates, from $8,000
OpenInvestor visa in Dubai and the UAE
A 2-year residence visa through your company, from AED 3,000, 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
OpenCompany formation in the UAE
Free zone from $7,000, mainland from $8,000, offshore from $3,000
OpenGuides to a company in the UAE
All guides to a company in the UAE
Updated 13 October 2026. Reviewed by Vladyslav Drapii, Founder.
