The short answer
Pick by activity. SPC suits publishing and online selling and is the only one of the three that publishes licence and visa fees, from AED 5,750 for a one year licence with no visa. Shams suits consultants and media founders wanting an LLC name without "FZ" and up to 50 visas. SRTIP suits labs, research and advanced manufacturing.
Figures were checked on the zones' own websites on 31 October 2026. First Idea sells fixed packages for Meydan and IFZA in Dubai and quotes SPC in writing.
Key takeaways
- SPC Free Zone's fee page starts at AED 5,750 for a one year licence with no visa; its activity list prices standard activities such as general trading at AED 6,875 and 8 electronic publishing activities at AED 4,999.
- Shams and SRTIP publish no fixed licence or visa fee; both calculators give estimates only.
- Example: one visa at SPC comes to at least AED 13,165 in SPC fees alone; our Standard package with one visa is AED 23,136 at Meydan or AED 23,436 at IFZA, with our service included, so the two are not like for like.
- Choose by activity: SPC for publishing and online selling, Shams for an LLC name and up to 50 visas, SRTIP for labs, research or advanced manufacturing.
- Every free zone company must register for UAE corporate tax.
Which free zones does Sharjah have?
Sharjah has five free zones on the Ministry of Economy and Tourism list of company registrars in free zones (updated 30 October 2026): Sharjah International Airport Free Zone (SAIF Zone), Hamriyah Free Zone, Sharjah Publishing City, Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park, and Sharjah Media City (Shams).
A free zone is an area whose own authority licenses companies, keeps their register and handles their residence visa applications. Each authority sets its own activity list, fees and office rules.
This guide compares Shams, SPC and SRTIP. SAIF Zone and Hamriyah are not covered here.
Shams vs SPC vs SRTIP: how do they compare side by side?
Shams, SPC and SRTIP differ most in focus, published prices and visa limits. Every cell comes from the zone's own website, read on 31 October 2026.
| Topic | Shams | SPC Free Zone | SRTIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who runs it | Sharjah Media City, set up by Amiri Decree in 2017 | Sharjah Publishing City, established in 2017; a subsidiary of Sharjah Book Authority | Also called SPark; founded in 2016 by decree of the Ruler of Sharjah |
| Where | Al Messaned, Sharjah | Al Zahia, Sharjah | Next to University City, Sharjah |
| Focus | Media, technology, consultancy, e-commerce and trading | Publishing and printing, plus trading, IT, e-commerce and professional services | Advanced manufacturing, healthcare, environmental technology, mobility and logistics |
| Licence types | Service, trade and light industrial | Trading, service and e-commerce licences; the fee depends on the activity's category | Commercial, service, industrial and consultancy, plus R&D permits |
| Legal forms | LLC without "FZ" in the name, or a branch | FZE LLC, FZC LLC (up to 100 shareholders) or a branch | FZE, FZC, or a branch of a UAE or foreign company |
| Activities per licence | Up to five classes, or one group plus four classes | Five activity groups included (its fee page says up to five activities); its cost calculator charges AED 2,200 for each activity from a further group; list of more than 2,000 | Several compatible activities, from a list of 1,500+ |
| Published licence fee | None; the calculator gives estimates | Fee page: from AED 5,750 for one year, no visa. Activity list and cost calculator: AED 4,999, AED 5,750 or AED 6,875, by activity | None; the calculator gives estimates and SRTIP's advisers give exact costs |
| Visas | Up to 50 per licence; above ten needs a business plan and bank statements | FAQ says up to 25; pay-as-you-go page says unlimited | No number published |
| Office | Flexi desk with a lease agreement | Lease agreement with every licence; offices, storage and warehouses | Offices, R&D labs and a prototyping centre |
| Dual free zone and mainland licence | Not listed | Not listed | Listed as an option |
| NOC (employer's no-objection letter) if you already work in the UAE | Not required | Not stated | May be needed |
SPC's own pages disagree on visa numbers, on activities per licence (its FAQ says typically up to ten) and on the lowest licence fee: its fee page says a one year licence starts from AED 5,750, while its activity list prices 8 electronic publishing activities at AED 4,999. Get all three confirmed in writing.
How much does each Sharjah free zone cost?
Only SPC Free Zone publishes its licence and visa fees, from AED 5,750 for a one year licence with no visa; Shams and SRTIP do not. These are the figures on SPC's fee page, in its activity list and in its cost calculator on 31 October 2026: SPC's charges, not First Idea prices.
| Item | SPC published fee | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Electronic publishing activity (activity list) | AED 4,999 | 8 activities |
| Licence, publishing activity (one year, no visa) | AED 5,750 | 556 activities, including e-commerce and social media selling |
| Standard activity (activity list) | AED 6,875 | 1,471 activities, including general trading |
| Visa allocation | AED 1,600 | For each visa |
| Establishment card | AED 640 | Company immigration card; needed before any visa |
| E-channel registration | AED 2,280 | Government visa system; needed before any visa |
| Investor visa with Emirates ID | AED 2,530 | For each person |
| Change of status | AED 700 | Only if you are already in the UAE |
| Medical test | AED 365 | For each person |
Shams prints no licence fee. Its calculator covers the licence, e-channel, a coworking space with lease, the immigration card and visas, and calls its figures estimates only.
SRTIP publishes no fee schedule. It lists five package families (real estate, startup, innovators, women in tech and university students), and its calculator also calls its figures estimates only.
Example: one visa at SPC, at SPC's published fees
You live abroad and want an SPC company with one publishing activity and a residence visa for yourself:
- Licence, publishing activity (one year, no visa)AED 5,750
- Visa allocationAED 1,600
- Establishment cardAED 640
- E-channel registrationAED 2,280
- Investor visa with Emirates IDAED 2,530
- Medical testAED 365
- Minimum total in SPC feesAED 13,165
Already in the UAE on another visa? Add the change of status fee, for a total of at least AED 13,865. With a standard activity instead, the total is at least AED 14,290.
Health insurance, SPC's knowledge fees (a separate line in its cost calculator), a bigger office, external approvals and anyone handling the file for you are extra.
Shams and SPC renew licences on their online portals, and SRTIP uses its own renewal application form. Shams also offers multi-year licences: its calculator lists terms of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10 years. When we handle a renewal for you: No professional service fee on licence renewals; government and authority fees still apply.
Send your business activity and visa count on WhatsApp and you get an itemised written quote.
Which Sharjah free zone suits your business?
SPC suits publishing and online selling, Shams suits consultants and traders who want an LLC name without "FZ" or up to 50 visas, and SRTIP suits labs, research and advanced manufacturing.
| If you are | Look first at | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Selling online or publishing | SPC, then Shams | SPC puts e-commerce and social media selling in its publishing category at AED 5,750. Shams has a media package. |
| A consultant who wants a name without "FZ" | Shams | Shams issues an LLC licence without "FZ" and needs no NOC if you are employed in the UAE. |
| Trading, importing or exporting | SPC or Shams | SPC prices general trading at AED 6,875 and rents warehouses. Shams issues a trade licence. |
| Building hardware, a research product or anything that needs a lab | SRTIP | SRTIP has R&D labs, a prototyping centre (SoiLab), an accelerator (SAIA) and an angel network (SBAN). |
| Selling to mainland customers | SRTIP, or Meydan in Dubai | SRTIP lists a dual free zone and mainland licence. Meydan says its companies can get a no-objection letter to work on the Dubai mainland with approval from Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). |
Zone by zone, see Shams licence and setup costs, SRTIP licence and business setup and the Sharjah free zone licence.
How do visas, offices and setup times differ?
Shams publishes the most detail: up to 50 visas, a flexi desk in both packages and a time for each setup step, while SPC publishes its office rents and SRTIP offers R&D labs.
Visas
A company residence visa runs in a fixed order: entry permit, change of status if you are already in the UAE, medical test and health insurance, residence visa, then Emirates ID, as Shams sets it out. You must be in the UAE for the medical test and biometrics.
SPC charges AED 1,600 per visa allocation, and SRTIP takes visa requests on its own form. More on the residence visa through your own company.
Offices and space
All three zones tie the licence to a lease. A flexi desk is a shared desk that gives your company a registered address, and Shams includes one in both packages. SPC lists unfurnished offices from AED 750 per square metre, furnished offices from AED 900, and storage or warehouse space from AED 480.
SRTIP makes signing a lease a setup step and offers offices, R&D labs and event space, which is the real difference if you need a lab.
Published setup times
Each zone measures from a different starting point, so read these as the authority's statement, not a promise.
| Stage | Shams | SPC Free Zone | SRTIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licence | Typically 1 to 2 working days after KYC and approval | Called "instant" in its FAQ and "1 day" in its cost calculator; no working-day range | As little as five working days with all documents in place, including registration and move-in |
| Immigration card and e-channel | 3 to 5 working days | No range published | No range published |
| Residence visa | Application 4 to 5, medical 1 to 2, residency 3 to 4 working days | Typically 5 to 10 working days | No range published |
| Emirates ID card | Usually 7 to 10 working days after biometrics and visa approval | No range published | No range published |
The federal portal u.ae (updated 27 October 2026) says that after review and approval a free zone licence is issued within 14 working days. The Shams and SPC home pages advertise faster times than their step-by-step and FAQ pages; this table uses the step-by-step, FAQ and calculator figures.
How do Shams, SPC and SRTIP compare with Meydan and IFZA?
Meydan and IFZA in Dubai are the two free zones First Idea sells at fixed prices, with our service included, while for Shams, SPC and SRTIP you compare the zone's own fees or a written quote. No First Idea price on this page applies to a Sharjah zone.
| Package | What it includes | Meydan | IFZA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic, no visa | Licence, MOA, flexi-office address and certificate of registration | AED 12,500 | AED 12,900 |
| Standard, one visa | Basic plus one residence visa, establishment card, medical test, Emirates ID and corporate tax registration | AED 23,136 | AED 23,436 |
| Premium | Company, one residence visa and business bank account opening assistance | AED 28,136 | AED 28,436 |
Premium means company, one residence visa and business bank account opening assistance: AED 28,136 at Meydan or AED 28,436 at IFZA.
Bank account opening is subject to the bank's KYC, compliance review and final approval.
The professional fee is promotional: AED 0 on Basic (regular AED 1,000) and AED 2,000 on Standard and Premium (regular AED 3,500).
This is not like for like: the SPC example counts only SPC's fees, while our packages also include our work on the file.
Meydan says it offers more than 2,500 activities, up to three activity groups per licence and a fully digital process. If your activity is on both lists, compare the totals for your visa count. See Dubai free zone company setup or how to choose a free zone in the UAE.
Do Sharjah free zone companies pay corporate tax, and can they open a bank account?
A Sharjah free zone company must register for UAE corporate tax, and it can apply to a UAE bank for a business account, which the bank decides on after its own checks.
Corporate tax
For you, and for companies on our Meydan and IFZA packages: 0% personal income tax. Corporate tax is 9% only on profit above AED 375,000, and registration is included in every package from Standard upward.
The Ministry of Finance says free zone companies are taxable persons who must register, with a separate rate on the qualifying income of a company that meets every Qualifying Free Zone Person condition.
Whether your income qualifies for the free zone rules is a question for a tax adviser, not a brochure.
Business bank account
Each bank makes its own decision. Shams gives new companies a list of banking partners, and SPC says you must be in the UAE for some stages, such as signing with the bank.
Bank account opening is subject to the bank's KYC, compliance review and final approval.
Sharjah free zone questions people ask
Which is cheaper, Shams or SPC?
Only SPC publishes its licence and visa fees, so compare against a written quote for Shams. On 31 October 2026 SPC's fee page listed a one year licence with no visa from AED 5,750, and its activity list priced standard activities at AED 6,875. Shams says its calculator gives estimates only.
How much is an SRTIP visa?
SRTIP publishes no fixed visa or licence fee on its website as of 31 October 2026, and its cost calculator says its figures are estimates only. For an exact cost it refers you to its business setup advisers, so ask SRTIP or send us your activity and visa count for an itemised written quote.
Can I get an e-commerce licence in Shams or SPC?
Yes. SPC lists e-commerce and social media selling in its publishing category at AED 5,750 a year. Shams names e-commerce among its popular choices and allows up to five activities per licence.
How many visas can I get in a Sharjah free zone?
Shams allows up to 50 per licence, depending on activity and office. SPC's FAQ says up to 25 while its pay-as-you-go page says unlimited. SRTIP publishes no number.
Can a Sharjah free zone company work with mainland customers?
SRTIP lists a dual free zone and mainland licence, with no terms stated. Shams and SPC do not list one. In Dubai, Meydan says its companies can get a no-objection letter to operate on the mainland with approval from Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (DET).
Do I need to visit the UAE to set up a Sharjah free zone company?
Not for the licence with Shams or SPC, which both run setup online. You must be in the UAE for the visa medical test and the Emirates ID biometrics, and SPC says you must be there for some bank stages, such as signing with the bank.
Does First Idea set up companies in Shams, SPC and SRTIP?
Yes for SPC, on a written quote. Our fixed prices cover Meydan and IFZA. Send your business activity and visa count on WhatsApp and you get an itemised written quote.
Want a Sharjah or Dubai free zone priced for your business?
Send your activity, the visas you need and whether you want a desk or a lab. We reply on WhatsApp, usually within a couple of hours, with an itemised written quote.
Official sources, checked on 31 October 2026
- Shams: Home page and setup cost calculator
- Shams: Packages
- Shams: Business activities
- Shams: Licensing and setup steps (updated 15 September 2026)
- Shams: Frequently asked questions (updated 15 September 2026)
- Shams: About us (updated 15 September 2026)
- SPC Free Zone: Home page (updated 29 October 2026)
- SPC Free Zone: Pay as you go fees (updated 29 October 2026)
- SPC Free Zone: Business activities list (updated 15 March 2026)
- SPC Free Zone: Cost calculator (updated 2 October 2026)
- SPC Free Zone: Business setup in Sharjah (updated 23 December 2025)
- SPC Free Zone: FAQs (updated 28 October 2026)
- SPC Free Zone: About us (updated 22 October 2025)
- SPC Free Zone: Contact us (updated 20 January 2026)
- SRTIP: Freezone and business setup, with cost calculator (updated 26 August 2025)
- SRTIP: About SPark (updated 30 July 2025)
- SRTIP: Establishing companies and institutions (updated 21 September 2025)
- Ministry of Economy and Tourism: Company registrars in free zones (updated 30 October 2026)
- u.ae: Starting a business in a free zone (updated 27 October 2026)
- Ministry of Finance: Corporate tax in the UAE
- Meydan Free Zone