SHAMS Free Zone Company Setup in 2026

A SHAMS freezone company gives you a UAE licence for media, trading, services or consulting work, with 100% foreign ownership and a lease agreement in every package. Sharjah Media City issues licences through a fully digital process, its Media package can be issued in about an hour, and a single licence can grow to 50 visas.

The hard part is reading the price. SHAMS publishes a long list of packages, from AED 5,750 for a Media licence with no visa to AED 23,175 for a six-visa plan, and the same page shows different figures for some of them. Immigration fees, the medical test, health insurance and corporate tax registration sit outside most packages.

This is where we come in. We form the company ourselves and run your SHAMS business setup from start to finish: the package and activity choice, the KYC file, the licence, the immigration card, the visas and the bank introduction. SHAMS fees are passed on as published, and our fee sits on its own line.

Why Set Up a Company in SHAMS Free Zone

Founders choose a SHAMS freezone company because it is one of the lowest-cost ways to hold a UAE licence. The SHAMS free zone license cost starts at AED 5,750 a year, the company can be 100% foreign owned, the whole application runs online, and the licence can carry up to 50 visas as the business grows. It also falls under the same corporate tax rules as every other UAE free zone.

Full Ownership and Several Activities on One Licence

A company in Sharjah Media City free zone is registered as a limited liability company and can be fully owned by foreign shareholders. Most SHAMS packages include three business activities, and SHAMS states that one licence can combine up to five from its list of hundreds of approved activities. A consultant who also sells online can hold both activities in one company instead of paying for a second licence.

A Fully Digital Application

SHAMS describes its process as 100% digital: you pick the activities, upload the documents online and receive the licence. For the Media package, SHAMS advertises an instant licence in about 60 minutes once the file is complete. That speed only applies when the documents are right the first time, so we check every page before filing.

Room to Grow to 50 Visas

SHAMS states that a licence can carry up to 50 visas, allocated as the business needs them. Its packages run from zero visas up to six, and its Visa for Life plans bundle visa allocations into the package price. For a founder who expects to hire, this matters more than the starting price, because moving to a bigger zone later means a new company and new paperwork.

The Same Tax Rules as Any UAE Free Zone

A SHAMS freezone company pays 0% corporate tax on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% above it, unless it qualifies for the 0% free zone rate on qualifying income. There is no personal income tax in the UAE and no currency control on moving profits out. Read our overview of free zone company formation in the UAE for how SHAMS fits among the other zones.

SHAMS Free Zone License Types and Packages

SHAMS sells each Sharjah Media City licence as a package rather than as a separate licence type. Each package sets which activities you can hold and how many visas come with it. The main options are the Media package, the Shams Trader package, the Freelancer package, the Standard package, the Visa for Life plans and the All Inclusive plans. All figures below are from the SHAMS packages page in November 2026.

The table shows the SHAMS free zone license cost for entry, not the price of running the company. A Media licence is the cheapest way in, but it only covers media and e-commerce work. If you plan to trade, consult or hire, the package that fits your activities and visa plan is the one to price, even if its headline figure is higher.

The Media Package

The Media package is the entry point for creative work: content production, publishing, digital media and e-commerce. SHAMS lists it at AED 5,750 for one year with no visa, a lease agreement and multiple shareholders allowed. It is the package behind the instant licence offer. It is a good fit for content creators and online sellers, and a poor fit for anyone whose main income is trading or consulting.

The Shams Trader Package

The Shams Trader package covers general trading and e-commerce at AED 6,500 a year with no visa. General trading lets you deal in a wide range of goods without listing each product group, which suits import and export businesses and online stores with a broad catalogue. Our guide to the general trading licence in the UAE explains how this activity works across zones.

The Freelancer and Standard Packages

The Freelancer package, at AED 7,745 with no visa, allows three activities across trading, services and consultancy plus one required media activity. The Standard package, at AED 8,050 with no visa, allows three mixed activities and comes in versions with one to six visas. Consultants, agencies and small service firms usually land on one of these two. Read more: freelance licence in the UAE.

Visa for Life and All Inclusive Plans

The Visa for Life plans bundle the licence, the lease, three activities and one to six visa allocations, from AED 15,175 to AED 23,175. The All Inclusive plans list one, two or three visas with the Emirates ID and medical test included, from AED 14,786 to AED 22,786. They make sense when you know your hiring plan from day one.

SHAMS Free Zone Company Formation for Non-Residents

You do not need to live in the UAE to own a SHAMS company. The application, the documents and the licence are handled online, and the company can be registered while you are abroad. The steps that need you in the country are the residence visa ones: the medical test and the biometrics for the Emirates ID. Planning those around one short visit saves weeks.

What a Non-Resident Can Do Remotely

A Sharjah Media City business setup runs on a digital application, so the activity choice, the shareholder documents, the Sharjah Media City licence and the lease agreement can all be completed from abroad. Corporate shareholders need legalised company documents, which usually take longer than anything on the SHAMS side, so start them first. We manage the file remotely and tell you exactly what to sign and when.

When You Need to Be in the UAE

If you want a residence visa, you will need to be in the UAE for the medical test and the Emirates ID biometrics. If you enter on a visit visa, a change of status inside the country is an extra fee of about AED 1,000 on the SHAMS fee list. Some owners start with a zero-visa package and add the visa when they move or visit. See UAE investor visa requirements and cost.

Holding the Company Through Another Structure

A SHAMS company can be owned by an individual or by another company. Group owners sometimes hold the SHAMS company through a holding company elsewhere, which keeps ownership in one place. That adds a legalisation step for the parent's documents and a fuller ownership chart for the bank, so it is worth planning before you apply.

Industries That Use Sharjah Media City Free Zone

Sharjah Media City free zone was built for creative and media businesses, but its activity list now covers trading, consulting and services as well. Many SHAMS companies are small, with a few owners, a handful of activities and a few visas. These are the main groups that use it.

Media, Content and Creative Businesses

Content creators, video and photo studios, publishers, marketing agencies and digital media firms are the core of the zone. The Media package covers this work directly, and its low entry price suits creators who invoice clients abroad and need a UAE company behind their income.

E-Commerce and Online Sellers

E-commerce activities sit in the Media and Shams Trader packages, so an online store can start at AED 5,750 or AED 6,500 a year with no visa. Online sellers should check payment provider rules before choosing activities, because a gateway will expect the licence to match what the store sells. Our guide to the e-commerce licence in the UAE covers the detail.

Consultants, Agencies and Service Firms

Management consultants, IT service firms and agencies usually take the Freelancer or Standard package, which allow three mixed activities. Adding visas over time is straightforward, which suits small teams that hire one or two people a year.

Trading and Import and Export

General traders use the Shams Trader package. A free zone company can trade internationally and with other free zone companies, while selling directly to customers onshore in the UAE usually needs a mainland licence or a local distributor. Read about mainland company formation in the UAE if your customers are local.

How Sharjah Media City Business Setup Works

A SHAMS freezone setup runs in five steps: choose the package and activities, prepare the KYC file, file the application and receive the licence, set up the immigration card and visas, then open the bank account. With us, one team runs all five, so the licence, the visas and the account move together rather than one after another.

Before You Start

Decide three things first: what the company will actually invoice for, how many visas you need in the first year, and who owns the shares. These answers pick the package. Changing activities or adding shareholders after the licence is issued means an amendment, new fees and more paperwork.

We Confirm the Package and Activities

We match your activities to the SHAMS list and pick the package that covers them at the lowest total cost, including visas. Where a Media licence would be cheaper but does not cover your trading or consulting income, we say so before you pay.

We Build the KYC File

We tell you exactly what we need: passports, proof of address, a short business description and, for corporate owners, the legalised company documents. We check every page before it goes in, because a rejected document can turn a fast licence into a slow one.

We File the Application and Receive the Licence

We submit the application on the SHAMS digital platform and handle any questions from the zone. The licence and the lease agreement are issued to the company, and we send you the full set of documents.

We Run the Immigration Card and Visas

For companies with visas, we register the immigration card and the e-channel account, then apply for the visa allocation, the residence visa and the Emirates ID in the right order. We book the medical test and biometrics around your travel.

We Open the Bank Account With You

We prepare the bank file while the licence is being issued and open the account with you as soon as the documents are ready. Read more: company formation with a bank account.

Documents Needed for SHAMS Company Registration

For a Sharjah Media City business setup you need a passport copy for every shareholder and manager, a passport photo, proof of residential address and, if you are in the UAE, your visa or entry stamp. Corporate shareholders add legalised company documents. The bank will ask for more than the zone, so we prepare both sets at once.

For Individual Shareholders and Managers

• Passport copy: Valid for at least six months, for every shareholder and manager.
• Passport photo: Recent, on a white background.
• Proof of address: A recent utility bill or bank statement.
• UAE visa or entry stamp: If the person is already in the UAE.
• Business description: A short note on what the company will do and for whom.

For Corporate Shareholders

A company that owns shares in a SHAMS company needs its certificate of incorporation, memorandum and articles, register of shareholders and directors, and a board resolution approving the new company. These usually need to be legalised or apostilled in the parent's country, then attested in the UAE. Allow extra time for this step.

For the Bank Account

Banks and our partners ask for the SHAMS licence, the lease agreement, the share register, proof of source of funds, and often a short business plan with expected transaction volumes and main counterparties. Our checklist of documents required to open a business bank account in the UAE lists them in full.

SHAMS Free Zone License Cost in 2026

The SHAMS free zone license cost starts at AED 5,750 a year for a Media licence with no visa, according to the SHAMS packages page in November 2026. With one visa, the published SHAMS and immigration fees come to about AED 14,800 on the All Inclusive plan, or about AED 17,700 before the medical test if you build it on the Standard package. Our own fee starts from €1,899 and is shown separately.

The package is the smaller part of a setup with a visa: immigration and visa fees add about AED 9,600 before the medical test on a Standard build. A company with no visa pays only the package, so starting without a visa keeps year one low. The SHAMS page shows more than one figure for a few packages, so we confirm the live price when we quote.

First-Year Cost by Company Profile

Each figure excludes our setup fee from €1,899 and health insurance. The number of visas is the biggest swing in the SHAMS free zone license cost, because each visa brings its own allocation, visa fee, Emirates ID and medical test. Our guide to the cost of business setup in the UAE sets SHAMS against the other emirates.

SHAMS Free Zone Visa Cost

For one owner on a Standard package, the published fees are AED 1,600 for the allocation, AED 1,575 for the immigration card, AED 2,735 for the e-channel registration, AED 3,360 for the visa and AED 371 for the Emirates ID, about AED 9,641 before the medical test. A change of status inside the UAE adds about AED 1,000, and health insurance is extra.

SHAMS License Renewal Cost

The SHAMS license renewal cost depends on the package you hold. SHAMS sells multi-year licences at lower yearly rates: the Media package with no visa is AED 9,775 for two years, AED 13,800 for three years and AED 20,125 for five years. On top of the licence, the e-channel renews at AED 1,355 a year, the immigration card every three years and each visa every two years. We show the renewal quote before your first year ends.

How Long SHAMS Business Setup Takes

The licence itself can be quick: SHAMS advertises about 60 minutes for the Media package and says other licences are ready in days, once the file is complete. The visa steps follow and depend on the medical test and biometrics bookings. With documents ready, we aim to have the licence issued within about a week, with the visa steps after that.

Delays usually come from documents rather than from the zone: legalised papers for corporate owners, unclear proof of address, or activities that do not match the package.

What Slows a SHAMS Freezone Setup

The usual delays are legalisation for corporate shareholders, a passport with less than six months of validity, a change of activity after filing, and visa steps booked before the e-channel account is active. Each one is avoidable when the file is checked before it goes in.

How to Speed It Up

Start legalising parent company documents on day one, decide your visa plan before choosing the package, and send clear scans. If you plan to visit for the visa, tell us your dates early so we can book the medical test and biometrics into one trip.

Tax and Compliance After Registration in Sharjah Media City

After registration, a company in Sharjah Media City free zone must register for corporate tax within three months, keep accounting records, renew its licence every year, and register for VAT at 5% once taxable supplies pass AED 375,000. To claim 0% on qualifying income as a Qualifying Free Zone Person, it also needs audited financial statements every year.

Corporate Tax

Under Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022 and Cabinet Decision No. 116 of 2022, taxable income up to AED 375,000 is taxed at 0% and income above it at 9%. FTA Decision No. 3 of 2024 requires companies formed from 1 March 2024 to register within three months of incorporation, and late registration carries an AED 10,000 penalty. We file the registration as part of every setup.

Keeping the Free Zone 0% Rate

A Qualifying Free Zone Person can pay 0% on qualifying income if its non-qualifying revenue stays under 5% of total revenue or AED 5 million, whichever is lower. Audited financial statements are required every year under Ministerial Decision No. 84 of 2025. Losing the status means the standard rates apply for that year and the next four, so plan your customer base before you trade.

VAT, Ownership Records and Renewals

VAT registration is mandatory once taxable supplies pass AED 375,000 a year and voluntary from AED 187,500. The company must keep a register of beneficial owners and update it after any change. The licence renews every year, the immigration card every three years and visas every two years.

Business Banking for SHAMS Companies

A SHAMS freezone company can bank with a UAE bank or with our partners. The local banks ask for minimum balances, a full review of the owners and the source of funds, and often a meeting. Our partners open multi-currency accounts remotely in days, with no minimum balance, which suits a new company with no trading history.

What the Local Banks Ask For

Emirates NBD's Business Banking Schedule of Charges (June 2025) sets an AED 50,000 average balance on its Prime package and charges AED 78.80 for a foreign currency transfer made at a branch. First Abu Dhabi Bank publishes a minimum average balance of AED 10,000 on Business Basic, and HSBC UAE asks for AED 20,000. Each wants the licence, the ownership chart and proof of where the money comes from. Read why banks reject business account applications.

A Faster Route Through Our Partners

We work with regulated payment partners built for international companies. They open multi-currency accounts in days, remotely, with no minimum balance and with local and SWIFT payment details. We prepare the file and make the introduction, so the account is ready soon after the licence.

A new SHAMS company usually opens its first account with a partner and adds a UAE bank once it has a year of trading. Read more: opening a business bank account in the UAE and the multi-currency business bank account in the UAE.

SHAMS Freezone vs SPC, Meydan and Cyprus

SHAMS freezone sits at the low-cost end of the UAE market, next to Sharjah Publishing City. Meydan gives you a Dubai address for more money, and Cyprus is the EU option when your customers are in Europe. The right pick depends on your activities, your visa plan and where your clients are.

SHAMS and SPC are close on price and activities, so the choice between them often comes down to the activity list and the visa ceiling. Meydan costs more but gives a Dubai address. Cyprus is a different decision: an EU company with 15% tax, chosen for access to European clients and banks. UAE prices are the zones' own published figures for November 2026.

SHAMS vs SPC

Both are Sharjah zones with up to five activities per licence. SPC publishes packages from AED 4,999 and allows up to 25 visas on a flexi desk, while SHAMS states a ceiling of 50 visas per licence. Media-led businesses tend to fit SHAMS, and publishing and trading businesses SPC. Our guide to Sharjah free zone business setup covers every Sharjah zone.

SHAMS vs a Dubai Free Zone

Meydan publishes its regular licence from AED 12,500 with up to three activity groups, more than twice the SHAMS entry price. A Dubai zone makes sense when your clients expect a Dubai address. Read our guides to Meydan Free Zone company formation and IFZA company formation.

SHAMS vs a Cyprus Company

A Cyprus company is the better choice when your customers, investors or payment providers are in the EU, or when you need an EU VAT number. It pays 15% corporate tax but gives full access to the single market. See our guide to Cyprus company formation.

Who a SHAMS Company Is Wrong For

A SHAMS freezone company is the wrong choice if you need to sell directly to customers onshore in the UAE without a distributor, because that usually needs a mainland licence. It is also wrong for regulated work such as banking, insurance or investment services, which need approvals from other regulators, and for businesses that need warehouses or industrial space.

It is not the best fit when your clients insist on a Dubai address, or when your main market is the EU and you need an EU company. In those cases a Dubai zone, a mainland company in Dubai or a European company will serve you better, and we will tell you so before you pay.

Common Mistakes When Setting Up a Company in SHAMS

Many problems with a SHAMS freezone company start with choosing on headline price. These are the mistakes we see most, and what to do instead.

Choosing the Media Package for Trading or Consulting

The Media package is the cheapest at AED 5,750, so it is tempting to pick it first. If most of your income comes from trading or consulting, the licence will not match your invoices, and banks and payment providers will notice. Fixing it later means an amendment and new fees. Choose the package by what you sell, not by price.

Budgeting Only for the Package

A package with no visa covers only the SHAMS free zone license cost, not residency. One owner visa adds about AED 9,600 in published immigration and visa fees before the medical test and insurance. Founders who budget only for the package often delay the visa, which then delays the bank account. Price the visa plan on day one.

Missing the Corporate Tax Registration

Companies formed from 1 March 2024 must register for corporate tax within three months, even with no income. Missing the deadline costs AED 10,000. A small free zone company is not exempt from registering, so we file it as part of every setup.

Leaving the Bank Account Until Last

Founders often wait for the visa before thinking about banking, then find the bank wants weeks of review and a large minimum balance. Starting the bank file while the licence is issued, and using a partner account first, can save weeks of waiting before you can invoice clients.

Bottom Line

SHAMS free zone, Sharjah's media city, is one of the lowest-cost ways to hold a UAE company, with packages from AED 5,750, full foreign ownership, a digital application and room for up to 50 visas. It suits media businesses, online sellers, consultants and small service firms that work with clients abroad or other free zone companies.

The SHAMS free zone license cost on the package page is the start, not the total. Pick the package by your activities and visa plan, budget for immigration and visa fees, register for corporate tax on time and start the bank account early. We form the company, run the visas and open the account with you, with every SHAMS fee shown as published. For the bigger picture, read our guide to company formation in the UAE.

Sources

• Sharjah Media City (SHAMS), business setup packages and fees (accessed November 2026)
• Sharjah Media City (SHAMS), Start with SHAMS (updated 17 September 2026)
• Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone, Why SPC Free Zone (updated 10 November 2026)
• Meydan Free Zone, pricing
• UAE Ministry of Finance, Cabinet Decision No. 116 of 2022 on taxable income subject to corporate tax
• PwC, FTA Decision No. 3 of 2024 on corporate tax registration timelines (February 2024)
• UAE Ministry of Finance, Ministerial Decision No. 84 of 2025 on audited financial statements
• Emirates NBD, Business Banking Schedule of Charges (June 2025)
• First Abu Dhabi Bank, business accounts
• HSBC UAE, business banking