Key takeaways
- Sharjah Healthcare City free zone (SHCC) is Sharjah’s free zone for healthcare: hospitals, clinics, labs, rehabilitation, wellness and complementary medicine centres, healthcare offices, warehouses and light healthcare industry. It was formed in 2012 and sits in Al Rahmaniya, about six minutes from Sharjah International Airport.
- Two regulators under one roof. SHCC registers the company, issues the commercial, professional or industrial licence and leases the space. The Sharjah Health Authority (SHA) licenses the healthcare facility and every health professional.
- Legal forms: Free Zone Limited Liability Company (FZ-LLC), branch of a UAE company and branch of a foreign company. An FZ-LLC needs at least one manager and one director, and nominee shareholders are not allowed.
- A clinic needs three layers of approval: the SHCC company licence, SHA’s preliminary then permanent Health Facility Licence, and a Health Professional Licence for each doctor, nurse or therapist.
- No fees or processing times are published on SHCC’s website. Every figure is quoted by SHCC’s leasing and licensing team.
- Visas are issued through ICP on a Sharjah residence file. All SHCC licences renew yearly with a 30-day penalty-free grace period.
- Not a designated zone for VAT; healthcare VAT rules (zero-rating for qualifying preventive and basic healthcare) apply as on the mainland.
Sharjah Healthcare City free zone is a healthcare-only free zone in Sharjah, formed in 2012 under the direction of the Ruler of Sharjah, where companies are registered and licensed by Sharjah Healthcare City while healthcare facilities and professionals are licensed by the Sharjah Health Authority, whose headquarters share the same building. It offers 100% foreign ownership through FZ-LLCs and branches, plots, clinical suites, offices and warehouses across about 4.5 million square metres, and residence visas through ICP.
This guide explains how to set up in Sharjah Healthcare City: who it suits, legal forms, licence types, the healthcare approvals that follow the company licence, documents and attestation, costs, offices and plots, visas, professional licensing, banking, tax, mainland access and renewal. We checked SHCC’s website and service pages on 26 September 2026 and say where information is not published.
For other options, see our Sharjah free zones guide and the national overview of free zones in the UAE. If you are comparing SHCC with a Dubai healthcare licence or a mainland clinic as part of your business setup in Dubai, that comparison comes first. If SHCC is the right base, our free zone company setup support team can run the company, visa and licensing files.
Sharjah Healthcare City at a glance
| Point | Sharjah Healthcare City (SHCC) |
|---|---|
| Company registrar and licensing | Sharjah Healthcare City (SHCC Registrar) |
| Health regulator | Sharjah Health Authority (SHA): facility and professional licences, inspection, health advertising |
| Legal basis | Formed in 2012 under the directive of the Ruler of Sharjah; SHCC describes itself as “an independent body regulated by the Sharjah Health Authority”. The founding decree is not published on its website. |
| Location | Al Rahmaniya, Sharjah; about 6 minutes from Sharjah International Airport and 20 minutes from Dubai International Airport (SHCC) |
| Size | About 4.5 million square metres of land |
| Best for | Hospitals, specialty centres, clinics, labs, rehabilitation, wellness and CAM centres, healthcare consultancies, pharma offices, medical warehouses |
| Legal forms | FZ-LLC; branch of a UAE company; branch of a foreign company |
| Licence types | Commercial, professional, industrial (company licences); Health Facility Licence and Health Professional Licence (SHA) |
| Official setup time | Not published |
| Fees | Not published; quoted by SHCC |
| Visa allocation basis | Not published; tied to the lease and facility in practice |
| Office options | Clinical suites, office units, warehouses, leased plots for hospitals, clinics and hospitality |
| VAT designated zone | No (not on the Sharjah list in Cabinet Decision No. 59 of 2017, as amended) |
| Mainland access | SHA licenses facilities inside and outside SHCC; mainland trading needs a separate licence |
| Website | shcc.shj.ae (shcc.ae redirects there) |
What Sharjah Healthcare City is known for
Like Dubai Healthcare City, SHCC is a free zone dedicated to healthcare rather than a general zone with a health segment. Its selling point is “single window” licensing: the company, the lease and the medical approvals all happen in one building, because the Sharjah Health Authority’s headquarters is part of the SHCC project.
Investment sectors SHCC promotes
- Hospitals, clinics and labs: multi-specialty or single-specialty hospitals on leased plots, clinics in clinical suites or on their own plot, and independent laboratories.
- Specialised centres: SHCC names surgery, cancer, advanced diagnostics, rehabilitation, cardiac, trauma, nephrology and diabetology centres as opportunities.
- Rehabilitation centres: physical, occupational and speech therapy, in-patient and out-patient.
- Office suites and research centres: healthcare consultancies, representative offices, pharma company offices and healthcare software companies.
- Warehouses and light healthcare industries: storage of consumables and equipment, and light assembly of healthcare equipment.
- Complementary and alternative medicine: Ayurveda, homeopathy, traditional Chinese medicine.
- Wellness and hospitality: spas, yoga and sports therapy centres, and hotels or serviced apartments built on leased plots.
Why investors look at SHCC
- Sharjah is the UAE’s third most populous emirate; SHCC cites a regional catchment of 1.8 million people in 2024 growing about 2.26% a year.
- Road access from the east, north and south through Emirates Road, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road and Al Dhaid Road.
- Sharjah Healthcare City says Sharjah was approved by the World Health Organization as a healthy city in 2015, and SHA runs the Healthy Cities and Child Friendly programmes from the same campus.
How SHCC compares
- Against Dubai Healthcare City: DHCC has a larger established cluster and a Dubai address. Since Dubai Law No. 16 of 2024 the DHA licenses clinics and professionals in DHCC, while the DHCA issues the company licence, a split similar to SHCC and SHA.
- Against a Sharjah mainland clinic: SHA also licenses facilities outside SHCC; the mainland route uses a Sharjah Economic Development Department licence instead of an FZ-LLC.
- Against SRTI Park: better for health technology and medical device R&D that does not treat patients.
Sharjah Healthcare City company setup: how MIRDXB PRO helps
Healthcare founders lose most time between the company licence and the first patient. We plan the company, lease, facility licence, professional licences and visas as one file, so each step is ready when the next begins.
What we do
- Choose the structure: FZ-LLC or branch, and which SHCC licence (commercial, professional or industrial) matches your activities.
- Prepare and attest documents: resolutions, corporate papers, UBO declarations and the business plan SHCC requires for clinical activity.
- Coordinate the SHA file: preliminary approval checklist, medical director appointment, professionals list, then the permanent Health Facility Licence.
- Health professional licences: gather qualifications, experience letters, good standing certificates and malpractice insurance for each clinician.
- Immigration and compliance: ICP immigration card, visas, medical tests, Emirates ID, corporate tax and VAT registration.
How it works
- Message us on WhatsApp with the facility type, specialties, owners and staff numbers.
- We reply in writing with the route, the approvals, the fees SHCC and SHA quote, and our fee.
- You approve; we prepare the files and submit with you to SHCC and SHA.
- We complete visas and filings and keep a renewal calendar for the company, facility and professional licences.
What it costs
SHCC, SHA, ICP and other government fees are passed on at cost, on their own receipts. Our fee is quoted in writing before we start; see our fees page.
Why healthcare founders use us
- We read SHCC’s and SHA’s own service pages and document lists, and tell you what is and is not published.
- We handle ICP visa files in Sharjah and GDRFA files in Dubai.
- We tell you when a mainland or Dubai route would be simpler for your model.
- 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), not SHCC, SHA or a government body.
See our business setup service and our free zone visa services.
Legal forms in the SHCC free zone
SHCC’s “Setting Up Business” page offers two legal statuses, and its amendments page adds the governance rules.
| Form | Owners | Officers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Zone Limited Liability Company (FZ-LLC) | Individuals or companies, UAE or foreign; 100% foreign ownership | At least one manager and one director; company secretary optional; a legal representative for corporate shareholders | Share transfers, capital increases or decreases and financial-year changes are amendments |
| Branch of a UAE company | The UAE parent | At least one manager | Name can change only if the parent’s name changes |
| Branch of a foreign company | The foreign parent | At least one manager | Parent’s good standing required at registration and renewal |
Rules that surprise founders
- No nominee shareholders. SHCC’s UBO guidelines say: “Nominee shareholding is NOT permitted in FZ-LLCs registered or to be registered in SHCC.” This applies to new and existing companies and any ownership change.
- Capital must be evidenced when increased: a certificate from a local bank or a Sharjah-licensed auditor.
- Name changes and capital decreases need a newspaper notice.
- A company must always hold at least one active licence; adding an activity “may result in a new license”.
- Minimum capital: not published on SHCC’s website. Ask SHCC for the figure for your licence type.
SHCC licence types and healthcare approvals
Sharjah Healthcare City issues three company licences. Which one you need depends on what you do, not on the size of your facility.
| SHCC licence | What it allows (SHCC wording summarised) | Typical users |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial | Import, export, sell, distribute and store the items named on the licence | Medical equipment and consumables traders, pharma distributors |
| Professional | Professional or service activities, such as hospitals, clinics and consultancy | Hospitals, clinics, labs, rehab and wellness centres, healthcare consultancies |
| Industrial | Import raw materials to manufacture, process or assemble specified products, package and export them | Light healthcare manufacturing and assembly. SHCC notes that “repackaging of the goods is deemed as trading and not industrial” |
Why the company licence is not enough
The SHCC free zone licence lets the company exist and trade. It does not let anyone treat patients. For that, the Sharjah Health Authority’s Health Regulation Department must license the facility and each practitioner, and it inspects both. SHA’s services page lists these steps:
- Healthcare Facility Preliminary Approval: granted after SHA checks the facility’s compliance, “inside and outside SHCC”. It can be extended for up to six months.
- HFL Permanent Approval: the Health Facility Licence, issued after inspection against SHA’s specifications.
- Health Professional Licence (HPL): a professional assessment certificate first, then a hiring licence linking the professional to your facility, with a licence card.
- Health advertisement licence: SHA approval to advertise facility or professional services, medical devices, health campaigns or events, including on websites, SMS and social media.
- Other SHA services: facility renewal (within 30 days before expiry, after clearing violations), name change, change of plan, location, specialties or beds, ambulance registration, controlled prescription pads, temporary closure and cancellation.
Other regulators you may meet
- Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR): initial registration if the facility provides radiology equipment.
- Emergency and disaster management: approval of the facility’s emergency operation plan.
- Wekaya: registration for medical waste.
- Ministry of Health and Prevention and the Emirates Drug Establishment: product registration for medicines and medical devices you trade (outside SHCC’s own pages; check with the regulator).
The practical lesson: the SHCC free zone licence is step one. Budget time for SHA’s preliminary approval, fit-out, inspection and professional licensing before you count on revenue.
Sharjah Healthcare City free zone setup: step by step
- Enquiry. Submit SHCC’s sales enquiry form stating company type (FZ-LLC, UAE branch, foreign branch) and facility (hospital, specialty centre, clinic, lab, warehouse and light industry, or office).
- Choose legal form and licence type. Commercial, professional or industrial.
- Submit documents. Application, business plan (clinical activity only), incorporation resolution and KYC for directors, manager, legal representative and shareholders.
- Lease. Clinical suite, office, warehouse or plot through SHCC’s leasing team; the lease fixes your address.
- Company licence. Sharjah Healthcare City issues the licence after approval and payment.
- SHA preliminary approval for the healthcare facility, with layout, affection plan, list of professionals and medical director.
- Fit-out and registrations: emergency plan, medical waste, FANR if applicable, infection control policy, list of medical devices, malpractice insurance.
- SHA permanent Health Facility Licence after inspection.
- Health Professional Licences for each clinician linked to the facility.
- Immigration card and visas with ICP, then medical test and Emirates ID.
- After opening: beneficial owner filing, corporate tax registration, VAT registration if required, health advertising approval before marketing.
How long it takes
Sharjah Healthcare City does not publish processing times for company registration, and SHA’s services page gives outputs but no service times. The one published period is that SHA’s preliminary approval can be extended for up to six months, which tells you facility projects are measured in months, not days. A healthcare office or trading company without a facility licence moves much faster than a clinic.
Documents for a Sharjah Healthcare City company
FZ-LLC
- Application form and incorporation resolution.
- Business plan, for clinical activity only.
- Proposed director, manager and legal representative: valid passport (with residence or visit visa page if in the UAE); Emirates ID optional for residents.
- Individual shareholders: valid passport, Emirates ID if resident.
- Foreign corporate shareholders: certificate of incorporation, memorandum and articles, certificate of continuity, existence or good standing, and UBO details with identification.
- UAE corporate shareholders: trade licence, memorandum and articles, commercial register and UBO details.
Branch
- Business plan (clinical activity only) and manager’s passport.
- The parent’s incorporation certificate, memorandum and articles, good standing and UBO details (foreign parent), or trade licence, memorandum and articles, commercial register and UBO details (UAE parent).
Attestation
SHCC states that “the resolution and documents of the shareholder who is a corporate person will need to be attested by appropriate authority relevant to the country of origin, the UAE Consulate/Embassy there and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in UAE”. Documents signed inside the UAE must be notarised by a UAE notary. Our document attestation service handles the chain.
Know-your-customer extras
For any new manager, director, shareholder, UBO or legal representative, SHCC asks for recent proof of address (not older than three months) and a Politically Exposed Person declaration, plus a source of wealth form if the person is a PEP or SHCC asks.
Health professional licence documents (SHA)
- Photo, passport, academic qualification and transcript, recent experience certificates.
- Good standing certificate from the current health authority, BLS/CPR certificate, surgical logbook for surgical specialties.
- Evaluation from the Ministry of Health, DHA or Department of Health Abu Dhabi if applicable, and any current licence.
- Signed contract or job offer; medical malpractice insurance after the licence is issued; medical fitness certificate for applicants over 60.
Sharjah Healthcare City costs: what is and is not published
Sharjah Healthcare City does not publish a fee schedule, package prices or lease rates on its website (checked 26 September 2026). Its renewal page only says that activity changes “may affect fees”. Any number you see online for an SHCC licence comes from a third party, not from SHCC.
What a written SHCC quotation should cover, line by line:
| Cost line | Who charges it | Published? |
|---|---|---|
| Company registration and licence (commercial, professional or industrial) | SHCC | No |
| Lease: clinical suite, office, warehouse or plot | SHCC leasing | No |
| Facility preliminary and permanent licence, renewals | Sharjah Health Authority | Not on SHCC’s site |
| Health professional assessment and licence, per clinician | Sharjah Health Authority | Not on SHCC’s site |
| Health advertising approval | Sharjah Health Authority | Not on SHCC’s site |
| Immigration establishment card | ICP | Yes: ICP’s card lists an application fee, AED 2,000 electronic system subscription, AED 1,000 subscription guarantee and the card fee |
| Residence visa | ICP | Yes: AED 100 application, AED 100 a year, AED 100 smart services; status change AED 500 |
| Emirates ID | ICP | Yes: AED 100 a year plus AED 100 smart services |
| Medical fitness test, health insurance, malpractice insurance | Medical centres and insurers | Varies |
| Fit-out, equipment, FANR, medical waste | Contractors and regulators | Varies |
For a clinic, fit-out, equipment and licensed staff dwarf the free zone fees. Ask SHCC for the lease and licence quotation in writing before committing to a fit-out contractor. We never include our own fee in these tables; it is quoted separately in writing (see our fees page).
Facilities: suites, offices, warehouses and plots
| Facility | Suits | What Sharjah Healthcare City says |
|---|---|---|
| Leased plot | Hospitals, large clinics, hotels and serviced apartments | “Various sizes of plots can be leased” |
| Clinical suite | Clinics, procedure or non-procedure driven, and labs | Clinics “can be leased from the clinical suites available” |
| Office unit | Healthcare consultancies, representative offices, pharma offices, healthcare software | “Office units can be leased out for various purposes of various sizes” |
| Warehouse | Storage of consumables and equipment, light assembly | “Leased warehousing facility” |
Sharjah Healthcare City does not publish a visa-per-square-metre ratio. In practice the number of visas follows the lease and, for clinics, the licensed staff the facility needs. Address changes are handled “automatically as part of the official lease process” when you add or remove a unit.
Visas and residency in Sharjah Healthcare City
SHCC is in Sharjah, so the company’s immigration establishment card, employees’ residence visas and Emirates IDs are handled through ICP, and residence file numbers start with 3. Sharjah Healthcare City does not publish its own visa process on the website; the ICP steps are the standard ones:
- Immigration establishment card for the company.
- Entry permit for staff abroad, or change of status for people already in the UAE.
- Medical fitness test and health insurance (see our medical fitness test service).
- Residence visa and Emirates ID biometrics (see our Emirates ID service).
Clinicians need two approvals, not one
A doctor’s residence visa does not let them practise. Each clinician needs SHA’s Health Professional Licence linked to your facility, and SHA can cancel, renew or add part-time licences through the same system. Plan the HPL alongside the visa; a clinician who is resident but unlicensed cannot see patients.
Family and Golden Visa
Family sponsorship follows ICP’s rules: income of AED 4,000 a month, or AED 3,000 with housing, and investors may be asked for a guarantee of AED 3,000 per family member (maximum AED 15,000). Doctors and some healthcare professionals may qualify for a Golden Visa in their own right; see our Golden Visa for doctors and nurses guide and our Golden investor visa service. After cancellation, ICP’s grace period is 30, 60, 90 or 180 days by permit type, and overstays cost AED 50 a day. For a broader comparison, read free zone vs mainland visa.
Banking for a Sharjah Healthcare City company
Banks treat healthcare as a regulated sector. Expect to show the SHCC free zone licence, lease, memorandum, UBO declaration and shareholder register, the SHA preliminary or permanent facility licence, the business plan, the source of funds for the fit-out and at least one UAE-resident signatory. See our corporate bank account guide.
Tax for a Sharjah Healthcare City company
SHCC advertises “zero tax and duties”. For corporate tax, every SHCC company must register with the FTA (FTA Decision No. 3 of 2024; late registration penalty AED 10,000). A clinic treating the public earns income from natural persons and mainland customers, which is generally not qualifying income for the 0% free zone rate under Cabinet Decision No. 100 of 2023 and Ministerial Decision No. 229 of 2025. Plan on 0% up to AED 375,000 of taxable income and 9% above. See our corporate tax registration guide.
For VAT, SHCC is not a designated zone: the FTA’s published list names only Hamriyah Free Zone and Sharjah Airport International Free Zone for Sharjah (we read the FTA’s PDF because its page could not be fetched; check the current list). Healthcare VAT rules apply as anywhere in the UAE: qualifying preventive and basic healthcare services are zero-rated, while cosmetic and other services are standard-rated at 5%.
Mainland access from the SHCC free zone
- Patients from anywhere can be treated at an SHCC facility; that is not “mainland trading”.
- Clinics outside SHCC: SHA licenses facilities inside and outside SHCC, but a facility outside the zone needs a mainland commercial licence from the Sharjah Economic Development Department (13% of rent for non-UAE nationals, minimum AED 1,300, plus a commercial register certificate from AED 500 to AED 7,000 by legal form).
- Distribution: an SHCC commercial licence can import, store and sell the listed items; selling into the local market is usually through licensed distributors, and medicines and devices need federal product registration.
- Dubai: Executive Council Resolution No. 11 of 2025 permits apply to Dubai free zones; Dubai clinics are licensed by the DHA.
Renewal and compliance for Sharjah Healthcare City companies
- Annual renewal: “All licenses must be renewed annually”, with “a 30-day penalty-free grace period following your license expiry date”. Penalty amounts after that are not published.
- Renewal documents: only expired or changed items, for example passports and Emirates IDs of shareholders, directors, manager and secretary, a current good standing certificate for corporate shareholders or the parent, and updated UBO and shareholder registers with a hierarchical ownership chart.
- SHA facility licence: renew within 30 days before expiry after clearing violations or penalties.
- UBO: file on registration and update within 15 days of any change (Cabinet Decision No. 109 of 2023). SHCC’s guidelines reproduce the Cabinet Decision No. 132 of 2023 penalties, for example up to AED 100,000 and licence suspension for repeated failure to keep a UBO register. See our UBO register guide.
- AML: SHCC expects compliance with federal AML law (now Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025) and goAML registration where relevant.
- Public notices: liquidations, strike-offs, restorations and name changes are published by the SHCC Registrar.
Pros and cons of the Sharjah Healthcare City free zone
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Company, lease and SHA approvals on one campus | No published fees, lease rates or processing times |
| 100% foreign ownership, FZ-LLC or branch | Nominee shareholding banned; strict KYC and attestation |
| Plots for hospitals, suites for clinics, offices, warehouses | Facility projects take months (preliminary approval extendable up to six months) |
| Close to Sharjah airport and major highways | Not a VAT designated zone; clinic income usually taxed at standard rates |
| Sharjah’s growing population and a health-focused government campus | Smaller established cluster than Dubai Healthcare City |
Who SHCC suits
- Investors building hospitals, day surgery, rehabilitation or specialty centres in Sharjah.
- Doctor-owned clinics and labs serving Sharjah and the northern emirates.
- Medical equipment and consumables traders who want storage next to their customers.
- Healthcare consultancies, pharma representative offices and healthcare software firms.
- CAM, wellness and physiotherapy providers.
Who should look elsewhere
- Health tech and medical device R&D without patients: SRTI Park.
- Large-scale pharma logistics and re-export: SAIF Zone or Hamriyah Free Zone (designated zones).
- Clinics that must be in Dubai: Dubai Healthcare City or a DHA-licensed mainland clinic.
- Health content creators and marketers: Shams free zone, with SHA advertising approval where health claims are made.
Worked cases: Sharjah Healthcare City free zone
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: two dentists opening a clinic
Two dentists form an FZ-LLC with a professional licence and lease a clinical suite. They submit a business plan (required for clinical activity), then SHA’s preliminary approval with the floor plan, list of professionals and medical director. Fit-out follows, with medical waste registration and FANR registration for the dental X-ray unit. After inspection SHA issues the permanent Health Facility Licence, each dentist and hygienist receives a Health Professional Licence, and ICP issues their residence visas.
Case 2: a foreign diagnostics group opening a branch lab
A European laboratory company opens a foreign branch. Its certificate of incorporation, articles, good standing and board resolution are notarised at home, legalised by the UAE embassy and attested by MOFA in the UAE. The UBO chart traces the parent’s owners down to natural persons, because SHCC requires the real beneficial owners even where nominees exist abroad. Every renewal needs a current good standing certificate for the parent.
Case 3: a medical supplies trader
A trader importing disposables and small devices takes an SHCC commercial licence and a warehouse. Repackaging bulk goods counts as trading, not industrial activity, so no industrial licence is needed. The products still need federal registration before sale, and sales to Sharjah clinics are subject to 5% VAT unless a specific relief applies.
Case 4: a physiotherapist moving from Dubai
A physiotherapist licensed by the DHA wants to join an SHCC rehabilitation centre. She needs an SHA assessment and Health Professional Licence, supported by her good standing certificate from the DHA, qualifications, experience letters and BLS certificate, and a new residence visa if her sponsor changes. Her DHA licence alone does not let her practise in Sharjah.
Case 5: a clinic that wants to advertise on social media
A newly licensed aesthetics clinic plans an Instagram campaign. Health advertising in Sharjah needs SHA’s advertisement approval, which covers websites, SMS and social media. The clinic applies before the campaign, and influencers it pays to promote it also need their own National Media Authority Advertiser Permit.
What circulates online about Sharjah Healthcare City that is not true
| Claim | What the official pages say |
|---|---|
| “An SHCC licence lets you open a clinic.” | The company licence is step one; SHA must grant the facility licence and each professional licence. |
| “Sharjah Healthcare City companies pay no tax.” | They must register for corporate tax; clinic income from patients is usually not qualifying income. VAT applies normally. |
| “Your Dubai (DHA) licence is valid in Sharjah Healthcare City.” | SHA issues its own professional licence; a DHA good standing certificate supports the application. |
| “You can hold shares through a nominee.” | Nominee shareholding is not permitted in Sharjah Healthcare City FZ-LLCs. |
| “SHCC publishes a price list.” | It does not; fees and lease rates are quoted by SHCC. |
| “Health ads only need the clinic’s approval.” | SHA must approve health advertising, including on social media. |
How to verify every figure in this guide
| Item | Where to check |
|---|---|
| Legal forms, documents, licence types | shcc.shj.ae, Setting Up Business |
| Facility and professional licensing services and documents | shcc.shj.ae, Regulations (SHA Health Regulation Department) |
| Renewal, 30-day grace, amendments | shcc.shj.ae, Licence Renewal and Amendment |
| Nominee ban, UBO penalties | shcc.shj.ae, UBO and AML/CFT guidelines |
| ICP visa and establishment card fees | icp.gov.ae service cards |
| VAT designated zones | tax.gov.ae, designated zones list |
| Qualifying activities for 0% corporate tax | mof.gov.ae, Ministerial Decision No. 229 of 2025 |
| Sharjah mainland licence fees | sedd.ae, licence issuance service card |
What we will and will not do
- We will map the SHCC, SHA and ICP steps in writing and tell you which are published and which are quoted.
- We will pass on government and SHCC fees at cost with their receipts.
- We will tell you when a mainland or Dubai route suits your project better.
- We will not promise a facility licence, professional licence or visa: SHA and ICP decide.
- We will not present ourselves as SHCC, SHA or their partner. We are an independent consultancy.
Related guides
- Sharjah free zones compared
- Dubai Healthcare City company setup
- SRTIP free zone company setup
- SAIF Zone company setup
- Hamriyah Free Zone company setup
- Sharjah Publishing City free zone
- Golden Visa for doctors and nurses
- Corporate tax registration in the UAE
- UBO register in the UAE
Sharjah Healthcare City free zone: frequently asked questions
What is Sharjah Healthcare City?
A free zone dedicated to healthcare in Al Rahmaniya, Sharjah, formed in 2012. SHCC registers companies and issues commercial, professional and industrial licences, while the Sharjah Health Authority, based on the same campus, licenses healthcare facilities and professionals.
Who regulates the SHCC free zone?
SHCC is the company registrar and licensing body; it describes itself as an independent body regulated by the Sharjah Health Authority. SHA’s Health Regulation Department licenses and inspects facilities and professionals inside and outside SHCC.
What legal forms can I use in Sharjah Healthcare City?
A Free Zone Limited Liability Company (FZ-LLC), a branch of a UAE company or a branch of a foreign company. An FZ-LLC needs at least one manager and one director; a branch needs a manager. Nominee shareholders are not permitted in FZ-LLCs.
How much does SHCC company setup cost?
Sharjah Healthcare City does not publish fees, lease rates or packages. You receive a quotation from SHCC’s leasing and licensing team. ICP publishes its own visa and establishment card fees, and SHA charges separately for facility and professional licences.
How long does it take to open a clinic in Sharjah Healthcare City?
No official time frame is published. The company licence comes first, then SHA’s preliminary approval, fit-out, inspection and the permanent facility licence. SHA allows preliminary approvals to be extended up to six months, so plan in months, not days.
Do doctors need a Sharjah Health Authority licence if they hold a DHA licence?
Yes. SHA issues its own Health Professional Licence linked to your facility. A good standing certificate from the current authority, qualifications, experience and, where applicable, an evaluation from MOHAP, DHA or DOH are part of the application.
Who issues visas for Sharjah Healthcare City companies?
ICP, on a Sharjah residence file. The company needs an immigration establishment card first; staff then go through entry permit or change of status, medical test, residence and Emirates ID. Clinicians also need their Sharjah Health Authority licence to practise.
Is Sharjah Healthcare City a designated zone for VAT?
No. The FTA’s published list names Hamriyah Free Zone and Sharjah Airport International Free Zone for Sharjah. Normal VAT rules apply, including zero-rating for qualifying preventive and basic healthcare services.
Do Sharjah Healthcare City companies pay corporate tax?
They must register. The 0% free zone rate applies only to qualifying income of a Qualifying Free Zone Person, and treatment income from patients is usually not qualifying. Plan on 0% up to AED 375,000 of taxable income and 9% above.
How often must an SHCC licence be renewed?
Every year. SHCC gives a 30-day penalty-free grace period after expiry. SHA facility licences are renewed within 30 days before expiry after any violations are cleared, and professional licences are renewed through the facility.
Can a clinic in Sharjah Healthcare City advertise on social media?
Only with SHA’s health advertisement approval, which covers websites, SMS and social media. Paid influencers promoting the clinic also need the National Media Authority’s Advertiser Permit.
Can MIRDXB PRO set up my Sharjah Healthcare City company?
Yes. We prepare and attest the company documents, coordinate SHCC registration and lease, assemble SHA facility and professional licence files, and handle ICP visas, Emirates ID, tax and UBO filings. Government fees are at cost; our fee is quoted in writing first.
Can you license our doctors and nurses with SHA?
Yes. We collect qualifications, experience letters, good standing certificates and insurance, prepare the SHA applications through your facility and align them with each person’s visa. SHA decides on every licence; we are an independent consultancy.
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.
- Sharjah Healthcare City: Home
- Sharjah Healthcare City: About
- Sharjah Healthcare City: Setting Up Business
- Sharjah Healthcare City: Investment sectors
- Sharjah Healthcare City: Regulations (SHA facility and professional licensing)
- Sharjah Healthcare City: Licence Renewal and Amendment
- Sharjah Healthcare City: UBO and AML/CFT guidelines
- Sharjah Healthcare City: Public notices
- Sharjah Health Authority
- ICP: Issuing an Establishment Card
- ICP: Issuing Residency Permit
- ICP: New Identity Card Issuance
- Sharjah Economic Development Department: Licence issuance
- FTA: Designated zones list (Cabinet Decisions 59/2017 and 35/2018)
- Ministerial Decision No. 229 of 2025 on Qualifying Activities
- FTA Decision No. 3 of 2024 on registration timeframes
- Cabinet Decision No. 109 of 2023 on beneficial owners
- u.ae: Starting a business in a free zone
26 September 2026. SHCC publishes no fees or processing times; figures here are ICP’s and SEDD’s published fees, and SHCC’s and SHA’s published requirements.
Please note. This guide describes the Sharjah Healthcare City free zone as published by Sharjah Healthcare City, the Sharjah Health Authority, ICP, the Sharjah Economic Development Department, the Ministry of Finance and the Federal Tax Authority, verified 26 September 2026. The cases are illustrative. MIRDXB PRO is an independent consultancy, not affiliated with Sharjah Healthcare City, the Sharjah Health Authority or any government body. This guide is general information, not legal, medical-regulatory or tax advice.
