Shams Free Zone Company Setup 2026: Packages, Costs, Visas and Media Approvals

Shams free zone company setup is the process of registering a limited liability company or branch with Sharjah Media City (Shams), a free zone in Al Messaned, Sharjah, created by Emiri Decree No. 11 of 2017 and regulated by the Sharjah Media City Free Zone Authority under its Companies and Licensing Regulations 2024. Shams free zone is best known for low-cost, fully online licences for media professionals, content creators, consultants and small traders, with up to five activities on one licence and residence visas issued through the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP).

This guide follows a Shams free zone licence from the first question (which package?) to the first renewal: legal form, the activity list and its approvals, every step and official time frame, documents, the published fees, offices, visas, tax, mainland trading and compliance. We built it from Shams free zone regulations, terms and conditions, FAQs, its cost calculator and its activity database, all checked on 26 September 2026. Where the Shams free zone’s own pages disagree, we show both.

For the wider picture, compare Shams with the other zones in our Sharjah free zones guide and the national overview of free zones in the UAE. If you are still deciding between a Sharjah free zone and a Dubai licence for your business setup in Dubai, read that first. If Shams fits, our free zone company setup support team can prepare and run the whole file.

Shams free zone at a glance

Who licenses a Shams free zone company and who does what

Three bodies touch a Shams free zone licence, and it helps to know which one to call.

• Sharjah Media City Free Zone Authority: the regulator. Its Companies and Licensing Regulations 2024 set out incorporation, names, shares, directors, accounts, audits and sanctions. Article 2.3 says the federal Commercial Companies Law “shall not apply in the City” except where the regulations say otherwise.
• Shams Customer Servicing LLC: the service company (licence number 0217002/1, incorporated 23 February 2017) that runs the portal, packages, invoices and add-on services under the FZ+ brand.
• ICP: the federal authority that issues the immigration establishment card, residence visas and Emirates ID for Sharjah-based companies. Shams applies on your behalf through its portal.

Shams also sits inside Sharjah’s media ecosystem: its About page carries a message from the Deputy Ruler of Sharjah as Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council. The zone runs SHAMS Studios, podcast rooms, filming locations and the SHAMS Awards for Arabic content. None of that changes your licence, but it explains the media focus.

What Shams free zone is known for

Shams built its reputation on three things: price, speed and the “LLC” suffix. Its FAQ says it is “the only UAE free zone that allows you to register your business as an LLC without the ‘FZ’ designation”. We have not checked every zone’s naming rules, so treat “only” as Shams’ claim; the effect is a name that looks like a mainland company on invoices.

• Creators and media freelancers: the Media package lets one person hold a licence covering, for example, digital content services, blogging, photography and digital marketing, with flexi desk and lease included. Shams runs offers aimed at Arab content creators and a podcast studio on site.
• Consultants and service firms: management, IT, marketing and training activities sit in the Standard and Media lists.
• Small traders and e-commerce: general trading and “E-commerce through websites” are on the list; an import and export code comes from UAE customs after licensing.
• Remote founders: residency is not required to own a Shams free zone company and the whole process is online, including payment by card or instalments.

How Shams compares with rival media zones

• Against Dubai Media City: DMC licences cost AED 15,000 to 20,000 a year plus AED 3,500 registration and carry a Dubai address that agencies with Dubai clients value. Shams costs a fraction of that but you work from Sharjah.
• Against Sharjah Publishing City: the natural choice for printing, publishing and book trade; Shams free zone is broader and cheaper for digital media.
• Against Ajman Media City and Creative City Fujairah: similar budget media zones in other emirates; compare what each package includes and where your visas will be issued.

Shams free zone company setup: how MIRDXB PRO helps

Most people who contact us about Shams ask three questions: Media or Standard package, which five activities, and do I need a visa now or later. We answer all three in writing before anything is paid.

What we do

• Match your business to Shams activity codes and flag every pre-approval or post-approval (media, municipality, Ministry of Justice and others) before you apply.
• Price the setup from Shams’ published figures: package, visa allocations, immigration card, visas and multi-year discounts.
• Prepare the documents, including corporate shareholder papers and their attestation or legalisation.
• Run the portal steps with you: KYC, application approval, licence, immigration card, E-Channel, visas, medical, Emirates ID.
• Handle what comes after: Advertiser Permit for creators, corporate tax and VAT registration, beneficial owner filing and bank account documents.

How it works

1. Message us on WhatsApp with what you do, your nationality and residency, and how many visas you need.
2. We reply in writing with the package, activities, approvals, published Shams fees and our fee.
3. You approve; we submit on the Shams free zone portal with you, and you pay Shams directly or on its invoice.
4. We complete the immigration steps and hand over the licence, lease, immigration card, visas and a compliance calendar.

What it costs

Shams, ICP, medical and regulator fees are passed on at cost, on their own receipts. Our fee depends on the structure and number of visas and is quoted in writing before we start; see our fees page.

Why founders use us

• We read Shams free zone regulations, terms and activity database, not just the brochure, so the licence matches what you actually do.
• We tell you when a zero-visa licence is enough and when a visa package is worth it.
• One contact covers attestation, visas, Emirates ID, tax registration and bank documents, in Sharjah (ICP) and Dubai (GDRFA).
• We are an independent consultancy in Al Barsha 1, Dubai (Monday to Thursday and Saturday 09:00 to 18:00, Friday 09:00 to 12:00). We are not Shams, not an official Shams partner and not a government body.

More on our business setup service and our free zone visa services.

Legal forms in the Shams free zone

The Companies and Licensing Regulations 2024 recognise two kinds of “Corporate Entity”: a Company, defined as “a limited liability company” incorporated in the City, and a Branch. Shams’ terms add the naming rule: company names “must end with ‘LLC’ or ‘Branch'”.

Shareholders, directors, managers and secretary

• Shareholders: individuals or companies, aged 18 or over, up to 50. Residency is not required and, according to the Shams FAQ, UAE residents need no NOC from their employer to own a Shams free zone company.
• Director: at least one, a natural person (Reg. 31); the terms allow up to four.
• Manager: every company and branch must have one, a natural person (Reg. 33); up to four on the terms.
• Secretary: optional (Reg. 38.1); may be an individual or a company.

Capital: what the AED 100,000 default means

The regulations do not set a minimum. The terms say the default share capital is AED 100,000 “unless otherwise requested”; capital up to that amount “requires no additional documentation”, while anything above needs a bank statement showing at least the declared amount. Shares must be whole numbers of AED 1 or more, each uniquely numbered, and must normally be fully paid on allotment (Reg. 22.2). Bearer shares are prohibited. In practice, capital is a figure in your memorandum, not a fee you pay to Shams.

Is there a Shams free zone freelance licence?

Not as a separate product today. Older articles still describe a Shams “freelance permit”, but the current regulations, terms and packages on shamsfz.ae only provide for an LLC or a branch. A freelancer or creator in Shams free zone is a one-shareholder LLC on the Media package. That has two consequences: you trade through a company rather than in your own name, and the company can sponsor staff later if you grow.

Shams free zone licence types and the activity list

The Company Formation page describes three licences: a Service licence, a Trade licence (buy, sell and distribute goods, wholesale and retail) and a Light Industrial licence (production, transformation and enhancement of goods). The price, however, depends on the package: Media or Standard.

Media package vs Standard package

The activity database tags each activity with a package: 361 are marked Media, 411 Standard and 232 have no package tag. If your five activities include even one Standard-only item, budget for the Standard package.

How many activities, and how to search them

Shams’ activities page gives two ways to fill a licence: one activity group plus four activity classes, or up to five classes, each “inclusive of all subclasses”. The terms state the same limit more simply: a maximum of five activities, with any extra “subject to additional charges” (the charge is not published). Activities can be changed later, either as an amendment or at renewal.

The live database (shamsfz.ae, Business Activities) lists 1,004 activities, each with its code, category, package, any external authority, whether approval comes before or after the licence, a risk rating and whether it qualifies for the 60-minute fast track. Our count on 26 September 2026:

One inconsistency worth knowing: the Company Formation page advertises a Light Industrial licence, but the activity database only has the three categories above. If you plan any production, ask Shams for the activity code before paying.

External approvals and media rules

Shams free zone is clear that approvals from other authorities are your responsibility: their “process, timeline, documentation requirements, and approval classification are outside the scope and control of Shams”. These are the authorities that appear most often in the database:

The list still uses older names in places (“Media Regulatory Office”, “UAE Media Council”). Since a federal decree-law announced on 18 December 2025, the National Media Authority (nma.gov.ae) has replaced the UAE Media Council and the other federal media bodies, so in practice these approvals go to the NMA.

What media law adds for a Shams media company

• Federal Decree-Law No. 55 of 2023, Article 6: a media activity licensed in a free zone “must be practised within the specified geographical borders of the free zone”; outside it, federal and local media rules apply.
• Content standards in Article 17 (respect for religion, the state, national unity, privacy and accuracy) apply to every licensee, and fines under Article 23 run from AED 1,000 to AED 1,000,000.
• Advertiser Permit: individuals who publish paid or promotional content on social media need the NMA’s permit. Its service card lists a commercial licence among the documents; it is free for the first three years and AED 1,000 a year after. The Shams FAQ confirms that a Shams free zone licence holder carrying out advertising or marketing “may be required” to hold it.

The Shams free zone’s own blog on content creators (updated 15 September 2026) still names the UAE Media Council as the issuer of the Advertiser Permit. Apply through the National Media Authority.

Shams free zone business setup: step by step

Shams free zone publishes a five-stage process on its Company Formation page, each with its own time frame. Applications submitted after 11:00 count from the next working day, and a returned application “resets the processing timeline”, according to the FAQ.

1. Consultation and package choice. Pick Media or Standard, up to five activities, the licence term (1 to 10 years) and the number of visas.
2. Name reservation. The name must end in “LLC” or “Branch” and must not be identical or similar to an existing name in the zone (Reg. 14.2). A reservation lasts 30 days.
3. Online submission. Upload documents on the Shams free zone portal; the Guide Team can help. Payment by card, Tabby instalments or partner-bank instalments.
4. KYC and application approval. You approve the application and complete identity checks on your dashboard. “The official processing timeline begins at this stage.”
5. Licence issued: 1 to 2 working days. Fast-track activities can issue in about 60 minutes. You receive the licence and company documents by email. A zero-visa company is finished here.
6. Immigration card and E-Channel: 3 to 5 working days. Starts automatically after the licence for visa packages.
7. Entry permit or change of status: 4 to 5 working days. Applied on the portal under Employee Management, Visa, New.
8. Medical test: 1 to 2 working days at an EHS or MOHAP-affiliated centre.
9. Residence visa and biometrics: 3 to 4 working days. Then ICP issues the Emirates ID, usually 7 to 10 working days after biometrics and approval (FAQ).
10. After the licence: corporate tax registration, beneficial owner filing, bank account, VAT if you cross the threshold, Advertiser Permit or other approvals.

What “licence in 60 minutes” really means

Shams advertises licences in about 60 minutes. That applies to fast-track activities (861 of 1,004) once KYC and documents are complete, and only to the licence. The Company Formation page still gives 1 to 2 working days as the official time frame, and visas take roughly two to three more weeks. Plan around the working-day figures.

Documents for a Shams free zone company

Shams keeps the individual list short and asks more of corporate shareholders. All submissions are made “directly by the client through the client portal”.

Individual shareholders, managers and directors

• Clear passport copy with a specimen signature (or a signed copy).
• Emirates ID and residence visa, if you live in the UAE; the terms require a valid Emirates ID from UAE residents and a UID number for all shareholders and managers when you apply for visas.
• Passport photo meeting Shams’ specification (white background, no glasses, no white shirt, taken in the last 3 to 6 months).
• A business plan for some activities (the database marks which), a CV for regulated professional activities, and declarations for anti-money laundering, food, sports or legal activities where flagged.

Corporate shareholders holding 25% or more

• Certificate of incorporation.
• Memorandum (and articles) of association.
• Certificate of incumbency or good standing, issued less than 90 days before submission.
• Share register, where applicable, and an ownership structure chart showing the beneficial owners.
• Board resolution signed by the directors or authorised signatories approving the Shams free zone company and appointing its officers.

Attestation and legalisation

The Company Formation page does not say whether foreign corporate documents must be attested. The terms, however, let the Authority refuse refunds if a company “fails to provide any attested original documents requested”, and Shams sells MOFA attestation as an add-on. Our advice: have foreign corporate documents notarised and apostilled or legalised in the home country, then attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, before you apply. Our document attestation service handles this.

Beneficial owners

Every Shams free zone company must file its beneficial owner and shareholder registers under Cabinet Decision No. 109 of 2023, and name a UAE-resident person authorised to give the registrar this data. Our UBO register guide explains the filing.

Shams free zone license cost: the published figures

The Shams free zone license cost is not published as a fee schedule. Shams publishes packages, terms with some fixed charges, and an online cost calculator. We read the calculator’s code on 26 September 2026 to show exactly how it builds a quote. Shams itself says the calculator gives “estimates only” and that an adviser confirms the exact cost, and the packages page says “All prices are inclusive of VAT”.

Worked totals from the calculator

Multi-year discounts and one conflict

The terms offer 2% off a two-year licence, rising by 1% per extra year to 10% for ten years, and say discounts apply to “license and visa allocation fees”. The calculator applies the discount to the licence line only, not to visa allocations. If you buy a multi-year licence with visas, ask Shams to confirm the discount on the allocation in writing.

Charges that are easy to miss

• Late renewal: 30 days’ grace, then AED 200 a month; AED 1,000 more if the company is suspended.
• Visa rejection: AED 1,050 admin fee deducted before any refund.
• Last investor visa cancellation: AED 2,100 security deposit, refunded on documents or set against the licence cancellation fee.
• Dependant visas: a refundable security deposit (amount not published), forfeited if a dependant overstays by even one day.
• E-Channel fees “are charged separately where applicable”, according to the packages page.
• Extra activities beyond five: “additional charges”, amount not published.
• Refunds: requests must reach Shams within six months of licence issue, and once paid, cancellation requests “will not be accepted”.

We never quote our own fee inside a fee table: it is separate, in writing, and on our fees page terms.

Offices and visa allocation in Shams free zone

Most free zones tie visas to office size. Shams free zone does not publish a space-per-visa ratio. Visa allocations are chosen per licence and paid per visa, subject to Shams’ review.

How many visas can a Shams free zone company get?

• Up to 50 visas per licence, “depending on your business activity and office space allocation” (FAQ).
• Above 10 visas: business plan and bank statements for review (FAQ).
• Above 20 visas: an annual audited financial report (terms).
• Allocation approval “does not result in the issuance of a residence visa”; each visa is still applied for and approved by immigration.
• Allocations are renewed with the licence at the same AED 1,600 each.

Unused allocations cost money every year. Start with the visas you will use in the first twelve months and upgrade later through the portal (Company Management, Visa allocation amendment).

Shams free zone visa and residency

Shams free zone is in Sharjah, so its immigration files sit with ICP, not with Dubai’s GDRFA. A Shams residence visa carries a file number starting with 3, the Sharjah code. Our ICP vs GDRFA guide explains why that matters when you renew, cancel or travel.

How the Sharjah immigration route works

1. Immigration (establishment) card and E-Channel: the company’s file with ICP. Shams starts it after the licence for visa packages. ICP’s own card for issuing an establishment card lists an application fee, a AED 2,000 electronic system subscription, a AED 1,000 subscription guarantee and the card fee; in Shams you pay the zone’s package figures. The terms add that immigration cards “are issued based on the first listed licensed activity, subject to E-Channel availability”, so put your main activity first.
2. Entry permit or change of status: through the Shams free zone portal. Applicants outside the UAE from India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Lebanon, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Kenya or Tunisia may receive a visa detail to do a pre-medical in their home country first (FAQ).
3. Medical and health insurance: at any EHS or MOHAP-affiliated centre in the UAE. See our medical fitness test service.
4. Residence visa and Emirates ID: residence approval, then biometrics for first-time residents and the Emirates ID card by courier. Our Emirates ID service covers renewals and corrections.

Shams’ General Policies describe the Authority itself as sponsor of the employees supplied to the company, and state that the Authority decides how many employees a company may employ. Employment inside the zone follows the Shams Employment Regulations 2023, which apply the federal Labour Law (Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021) as a minimum: probation up to six months, gratuity from 21 days’ basic wage a year for the first five years, 30 days’ annual leave after a year.

Shams free zone visa options: investor, employees and family

• Investor or partner visa: AED 2,200 in the calculator, plus the allocation and one-off items. The company needs a valid E-Channel, immigration card and a free allocation first.
• Employee visa: AED 3,700 in the calculator. Cancellation needs a form signed by both sides, and the employee must be in the UAE (or have been outside for at least six months).
• Family: shareholders can sponsor spouse, children and parents (FAQ). ICP’s residency card sets the income test at AED 4,000 a month, or AED 3,000 with housing, and investor sponsors may be asked for a guarantee of AED 3,000 per family member (maximum AED 15,000). Shams adds its own refundable dependant deposit.
• Golden Visa: a Shams shareholder does not qualify simply by owning a company. Investor routes rest on capital, property or other criteria set by ICP; see our Golden investor visa service.

Grace periods and overstays

After cancellation, ICP’s grace period depends on the permit type (30, 60, 90 or 180 days), and overstaying costs AED 50 a day. Shams warns that a person cannot leave with unpaid fines: “Immigration will stop at the airport for the fine clearance.” For a full comparison of visa routes, read free zone vs mainland visa.

Banking for a Sharjah Media City company

Shams provides a list of partner banks after registration and sells bank-account assistance (AED 2,000 in the calculator). Banks decide for themselves, and a low-cost flexi-desk company is exactly the profile they check hardest. Expect to show:

• Licence, memorandum, share certificate, lease and immigration card (if any).
• Passports, Emirates IDs and address proof for shareholders, managers and signatories.
• A clear description of clients, suppliers, expected turnover and where money comes from, with contracts or invoices.
• For creators: platform accounts, brand contracts and the Advertiser Permit if you promote for pay.

A UAE residence visa for at least one signatory usually helps. Our corporate bank account guide covers the full checklist and timelines.

Tax for a Shams free zone company

Corporate tax

A Shams free zone company is a taxable person and must register with the Federal Tax Authority (FTA Decision No. 3 of 2024 sets the deadlines; the late registration penalty is AED 10,000). The standard rate is 0% up to AED 375,000 of taxable income and 9% above.

A free zone company can pay 0% on qualifying income only if it is a Qualifying Free Zone Person under Cabinet Decision No. 100 of 2023: adequate substance in the zone, audited accounts, qualifying activities, and non-qualifying revenue within the de minimis limit (the lower of AED 5 million or 5% of revenue). The qualifying activities are now listed in Ministerial Decision No. 229 of 2025. Most Shams businesses (consulting, marketing, content, e-commerce to UAE consumers) earn income that is not qualifying, so plan on the standard rates. A company that elects Small Business Relief cannot also be a Qualifying Free Zone Person. Our corporate tax registration guide has the steps.

VAT and customs

Shams free zone is not a designated zone. The FTA’s published list under Cabinet Decision No. 59 of 2017 (as amended by Cabinet Decision No. 35 of 2018) names only Hamriyah Free Zone and Sharjah Airport International Free Zone for Sharjah. The FTA’s web page could not be read by our tools, so we checked the FTA’s own PDF of the list; check the current list before relying on it. For you, it means ordinary 5% VAT rules: register when taxable supplies pass AED 375,000 a year. Goods for trading pass UAE customs normally; Shams free zone says an import and export code, valid “across all UAE ports”, is issued by UAE customs after licensing.

Trading with the mainland from Sharjah Media City

A Shams free zone licence covers business from the zone. It does not let you open a shop, trade stock locally or carry out work on sites in the Sharjah or Dubai mainland, and media activities licensed in a free zone must be practised within its borders (Decree-Law No. 55 of 2023, Article 6). Selling services to UAE clients from the zone, online, is how most Shams companies work.

• Dubai: Executive Council Resolution No. 11 of 2025 created a Free Zone Mainland Operating Permit and a branch licence, but for companies in Dubai free zones. We have not seen it extended to Sharjah zones; a Shams free zone company working in Dubai needs a Dubai licence or a local partner.
• Sharjah: the Sharjah Economic Development Department’s service guide (checked 26 September 2026) lists no permit for free zone companies to trade on the mainland. The route is a SEDD licence for a branch or subsidiary. SEDD’s licence card charges 13% of the rent value for non-UAE nationals (minimum AED 1,300), a commercial register certificate of AED 500 to AED 7,000 depending on legal form, and a late renewal fine of AED 200 a month, with a one-working-day service time. SEDD also offers a free service to register a company licensed outside its system as an investor.
• Distributor or agent: sell goods to a mainland-licensed distributor who handles local sales.

If most of your revenue will come from the mainland, compare Shams with a mainland licence first; see mainland company formation in Dubai.

Renewal and ongoing compliance in Shams free zone

Licence renewal

The regulations require renewal “prior to the expiry of the current term” (Reg. 12). Renewal happens on the portal, and a “Renewal with Amendment” lets you change the package, activities, name, visa allocation, facility or stakeholders at the same time (FAQ); name and stakeholder changes may also need an immigration card amendment. Visa allocations renew with the licence at AED 1,600 each.

What happens if you do not renew

All penalties must be paid before renewal or cancellation, and Shams will not process applications for companies with outstanding penalties or incomplete beneficial owner filings.

Accounts and audit

Regulation 62.3 says a company’s accounts “must be examined and reported on by an auditor” and laid before a general meeting each year. After the first financial year (6 to 18 months), the year runs from 1 January to 31 December (Reg. 64). The terms separately require an audited report for companies with more than 20 visas, which reads as a visa condition rather than a waiver of the general rule. Audited statements are also required to keep Qualifying Free Zone Person status.

Other filings and deadlines

• Changes to report within 15 business days (Reg. 16): memorandum, capital, registered office, name, directors, managers, share transfers, auditor, liquidator.
• Beneficial owners: file within 60 days of licensing and update changes within 15 days (Cabinet Decision No. 109 of 2023); penalties under Cabinet Decision No. 132 of 2023.
• Anti-money laundering: DNFBP activities must register on goAML and report suspicious transactions (Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025).
• Records: keep all information and documents for at least five years (Reg. 17).
• Tax: corporate tax return within nine months of year-end; VAT returns if registered.
• Visas: renew residence and Emirates ID before expiry; cancel employees’ visas before closing.

Closing or restarting

Cancellation needs all visas, the E-Channel and the immigration card cleared and fees paid, then a request through Shams. If the company had visas, you must wait one year to reopen; a zero-visa company can reopen after six months (FAQ). The Companies Liquidation Regulations 2024 govern formal liquidation.

Pros and cons of the Shams free zone

Who the Shams free zone suits

• Content creators, influencers, photographers and designers who want a licence and an Advertiser Permit route at a low cost.
• Consultants, trainers, IT freelancers and marketers billing clients from anywhere.
• E-commerce sellers and small traders using third-party warehouses.
• Founders who live abroad and want a UAE company without residency at first.

Who should look elsewhere

• Warehousing, manufacturing, logistics: SAIF Zone or Hamriyah Free Zone, both with land, warehouses and designated-zone status.
• Research, technology and university links: SRTIP.
• Healthcare and clinics: Sharjah Healthcare City.
• Agencies selling mainly to Dubai corporates: Dubai Media City or a Dubai mainland licence.

Worked cases: Shams free zone company setup

These cases are built from the situations we see most often. Names and identifying details are left out, and the figures are the published ones.

Case 1: a creator who lives in Dubai on a spouse’s visa

She earns from brand deals on Instagram and TikTok. A one-shareholder LLC on the Media package with digital content services, digital marketing and blogging costs AED 5,760 for the first year, no visa needed because her residence is already sponsored. After the licence, she applies for the National Media Authority’s Advertiser Permit, free for the first three years. She keeps her husband’s sponsorship and trades through the company.

Case 2: a consultant who needs his own visa

He is leaving an employer and wants to stay in the UAE as a management consultant. Standard package, one investor visa: AED 13,935 in the calculator, plus the medical test. The licence arrives in two working days; the immigration card, entry permit, medical and residence take about three more weeks. He waits for the new residence before cancelling his old one, so his status is changed inside the country.

Case 3: an online seller with two staff

A couple sells home products through their own website and marketplaces, using a Dubai fulfilment warehouse. They choose e-commerce and general trading activities on the Standard package with one investor and two employee visas: the licence and allocations cost more than the Media figure, and each employee visa adds AED 3,700 plus AED 1,600 allocation. Because stock is sold to UAE consumers, none of it is qualifying income for the 0% rate, and they register for VAT once sales pass AED 375,000.

Case 4: a foreign parent company opening a regional branch

A European video production company wants a UAE presence under its own name. A branch avoids new shareholders and capital, but the parent is liable for the branch. Its certificate of incorporation, articles and good standing (under 90 days old) are apostilled and attested, a board resolution appoints the branch manager, and the ownership chart shows every person with 25% or more. Film production activities carry a post-approval from the federal media regulator, which it applies for right after licensing.

Case 5: a renewal that slipped

A company forgot its renewal date. At four months after expiry it owed three months at AED 200 (after the 30-day grace), and its investor visa was still active. Paying the penalties and renewing with an amendment (removing an unused visa allocation) cost less than cancelling and reopening, which would have meant a one-year wait because the company had visas.

What circulates online about Shams free zone that is not true

How to verify every figure in this guide

What we will and will not do

• We will tell you in writing which Shams package and activities fit, which approvals apply and what Shams free zone publishes as its fees, before you pay anyone.
• We will tell you when Shams free zone is the wrong choice, for example if you need a warehouse, a Dubai address or mainland sales.
• We will pass on Shams, ICP and regulator fees at cost, with their receipts.
• We will not promise a licence, visa, bank account or approval: Shams, ICP, banks and regulators decide.
• We will not present ourselves as Shams or an official Shams partner. We are an independent consultancy.
• We will not help structure a company to hide its real owners or activities.

Related guides

• Sharjah free zones compared
• Sharjah Publishing City free zone
• SRTIP free zone company setup
• SAIF Zone company setup
• Hamriyah Free Zone company setup
• Dubai Media City company setup
• Free zone vs mainland visa
• Corporate tax registration in the UAE
• UBO register in the UAE
• ICP vs GDRFA: which authority handles your visa

Visa renewals, Emirates ID, attestation and other government paperwork after setup are what our PRO services in Dubai team handles every day, for Dubai and Sharjah files.