SRTIP Free Zone Company Setup 2026: SRTI Park Licences, Costs, Visas and Who It Suits

SRTIP free zone company setup is the process of registering a free zone establishment, free zone company or branch in the Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park, a Government of Sharjah free zone created by Emiri Decree No. 38 of 2016 beside University City, Sharjah, to host research-led, technology and innovation businesses. SRTI Park issues commercial, service, industrial and consultancy licences with up to five activities, sponsors residence visas through ICP, and pairs the licence with R&D labs, a prototyping centre, an accelerator and an angel investor network.

This guide covers every stage: what SRTI Park is and who it suits, legal forms, licence types and activities, the step-by-step process, documents, published costs, offices and visa quotas, residency, banking, tax, mainland access and renewal. We checked the park’s website, its setup guide, checklists and visa forms on 26 September 2026 and point out where its own pages disagree.

To compare SRTIP with the other Sharjah zones, start with our Sharjah free zones guide or the national overview of free zones in the UAE. If you are weighing a Sharjah free zone against a Dubai licence for your business setup in Dubai, that comparison comes first. If SRTI Park fits, our company formation support team can run the file from name reservation to Emirates ID.

SRTIP free zone at a glance

What SRTI Park is known for

Most Sharjah free zones sell licences first and facilities second. SRTI Park reverses that. Its mission is to connect “academia, industry, and government” and help companies “develop, test, and commercialize” new technology. The practical result is a free zone where your licence comes with access to things most zones do not have.

• Location beside University City: SRTI Park cites more than 44,000 students in the academic district, with University of Sharjah and American University of Sharjah leadership on its board.
• SoiLab (Sharjah Open Innovation Lab): the park’s prototyping centre. SRTI Park’s own articles describe the emirate’s prototyping labs as offering equipment such as 3D printers, CNC machines and electronics workstations.
• SAIA (Sharjah Advanced Industry Accelerator) and SBAN (Sharjah Business Angels Network): an accelerator and an angel investor network run from the park.
• Sheraa, the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center, is based at the park.
• Scale: SRTI Park reported “over 6,000 companies and startups” in April 2024 and now states “10,000+” registered companies, “22+” university and corporate research partnerships and more than 200,000 visitors in 2024.

Focus areas

• Advanced manufacturing: aerospace, automotive, robotics, automation and 3D printing.
• Healthcare: medical devices, hospital automation, digital health and insurtech.
• Sustainability and environmental technology: waste, water, clean energy, precision agriculture.
• Mobility and logistics digitalisation, and AI, big data and IoT under “digitalisation”.

How SRTIP compares with other zones

• Against Shams: Shams is cheaper for pure service, media and e-commerce licences issued in 1 to 2 days. SRTI Park costs more but gives labs, investor access and university links.
• Against SAIF Zone and Hamriyah Free Zone: better for warehousing, heavy industry and customs-bonded trade (both are VAT designated zones).
• Against Dubai Silicon Oasis: the closest Dubai equivalent for tech; Dubai address and GDRFA visas, at higher cost.

SRTIP free zone company setup: how MIRDXB PRO helps

Founders ask us about SRTI Park for two reasons: they want an innovation ecosystem, or they found a low headline price. We check whether the first is real for your business and whether the second survives the visa bill.

What we do

• Choose the entity and package: FZE, FZC or branch; general or Innovators package; zero, one or two visas; the right office for your visa count.
• Map activities within the park’s list and flag regulated activities that need third-party approvals.
• Prepare the document pack: business plan or action plan, shareholder papers, notarised and legalised board resolutions and attested corporate documents.
• Run the process with the park: trade name, initial approval, action plan approval, memorandum, lease and licence.
• Complete immigration and compliance: immigration card, visas, medical, Emirates ID, corporate tax and VAT registration, beneficial owner filing and bank documents.

How it works

1. Message us on WhatsApp with your activity, shareholders and visa plans.
2. We reply in writing with the route, the park’s published fees and our fee.
3. You approve; we prepare documents and submit with you through the park’s portal and sales team.
4. We complete visas and filings and hand over every document with a renewal calendar.

What it costs

SRTI Park, ICP and other government 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 the park’s checklists, forms and offers, and tell you where they conflict.
• We tell you when a cheaper zone would do the same job.
• One contact covers attestation, ICP visas, Emirates ID, tax and bank documents.
• 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 SRTI Park and not one of its partners.

See our business setup service and our free zone visa services.

Legal forms in the SRTIP free zone

SRTI Park’s “Establishing Companies and Institutions” page lists four structures. All give 100% foreign ownership and none needs a local partner.

Capital, shareholders and officers

• Capital: “there is no mandated paid-up capital for most licences (internal SRTI Park policy)”. The capital figure still appears in the memorandum, and some regulated activities may require more.
• Shareholders: no published maximum for general packages; the 2026 Innovators promotion was limited to five shareholders.
• Directors and manager: the registration checklist asks for passport copies and specimen signatures for each director and the manager, plus an NOC from the manager’s current UAE sponsor “if applicable”. A secretary can be appointed (amendments list “Secretary change”).
• Converting later: amendments include “Entity Type Change (e.g., from FZC to FZE)”, share transfers, capital changes and changes of manager.

SRTI Park does not publish its companies regulations as a document on the website. The FAQ answers and forms above are what it publishes; ask for the regulations if you need them for a shareholder agreement.

SRTIP licence types and business activities

SRTI Park “issues commercial, service, industrial and consultancy licenses, along with specialist R&D and innovation-focused permits”. It advertises more than 1,500 activities and “No Cross-Business Activity Fee”, meaning activities from different sectors can sit on one licence without an extra sector charge, within the five-activity limit.

Five activities, one segment

SRTI Park’s renewal form asks for a “List of Activities (Maximum 5) in one Segment”. The setup FAQ adds that activities “should be compatible”. In practice, choose activities that tell one business story, for example AI development, AI training, software consultancy, smart machines trading and R&D.

Regulated activities

SRTI Park asks for “third-party approvals (if a regulated activity)”. The ones we see most at a technology park: aviation (the renewal form mentions Sharjah Civil Aviation approval for aviation activities), medical devices and health products (Ministry of Health and Prevention or the Sharjah Health Authority), telecommunications equipment (Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority), and financial or insurance technology (Central Bank or Securities and Commodities Authority). The approval is yours to obtain; the licence does not replace it.

The Innovators package and SPARK AI Hub

SRTI Park markets a Standard Innovators Package through its “SPARK AI Hub”. In April 2026 it published eligible activities (AI development, AI training, robotics, consultancy, research and development, smart machines trading and rental) and a first-year 50% promotion for new companies that applied before 30 April 2026. The package includes Innovation Lounge access for four hours a week, and “a physical office is not required”.

SRTIP free zone company setup: step by step

SRTI Park’s FAQ gives the sequence: “Reserve a trade name → obtain initial approval → submit an action plan and constitutional documents → sign a lease → apply for and receive the licence → secure visas/Emirates IDs for staff”. Its setup guide (version 1.22) lists the same tasks.

1. Enquiry and package choice. SRTI Park’s sales team proposes packages “based on; the package chosen, the number of cadres requested, and the activities needed”.
2. Trade name reservation. The licensing and registration department approves the name.
3. Initial approval of the application and activities.
4. Action plan approval. A business plan or project summary is part of every application; for some activities it is reviewed in detail.
5. Resolution, ratification and memorandum of association. Corporate shareholders submit a notarised and legalised board resolution.
6. Lease approval. Innovation Lounge, co-working, office, lab or land.
7. Payment and licence issue. Sales issues the invoice; after payment the registration and licensing department prints the licence and company documents.
8. Immigration card and visas. The Investor Services Department applies for the immigration card, entry permits, status changes and residence visas with ICP; Emirates ID follows biometrics.
9. After the licence: beneficial owner filing, corporate tax registration, bank account, VAT registration if you pass the threshold.

How long it takes

SRTI Park publishes two figures. Its setup FAQ says that with all documents in place, “most companies can secure their license, register with authorities, and move into their office or lab in as little as five working days”. Its own August 2025 guide says “7-10 working days from application to licence”. Visas come after the licence. A founder with an investor visa should plan on three to four weeks overall. Legalising corporate documents abroad often takes longer than the free zone steps.

Documents for an SRTIP company

SRTI Park’s “Checklist of Legal Documents required for Registration/Incorporation of Company” separates individual shareholders, corporate shareholders and branches.

For every application

• Application for registration and licence (SRTI Park form).
• Project summary or business plan.
• Proof of residential address in your country of residence.
• Registration and licence fees.

Individual shareholders, directors and manager

• Valid passport copy and specimen signature for each shareholder and director.
• UAE residence visa and Emirates ID copy if you live in the UAE.
• Manager: valid passport, specimen signature and an NOC from the current UAE sponsor if applicable.
• For some staff visas, attested educational certificates (see visas below).

Corporate shareholders and branches

• Original certificate of registration (a notarised copy is accepted).
• Original certificate of good standing from the registrar where the company is incorporated.
• For UAE parents: the trade licence and commercial registration.
• Original memorandum and articles of association and a list of current directors (an attested copy is accepted).
• Shareholder or board resolution, notarised and legalised, approving the branch or subsidiary and “guaranteeing full financial commitment”; a power of attorney for the manager if not in the resolution, also notarised and legalised.

Attestation and translation

SRTI Park “reserves the right to ask for the attestation from UAE Embassy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs or other embassy”. Documents must be in English or Arabic; others “must be translated and legalized in the home country”. Branches must provide an attested good standing certificate again at each renewal. Our document attestation service handles the chain.

SRTIP license cost: the published figures

SRTI Park does not publish a fee schedule. It has published package prices in its own articles, which we list with dates. Treat them as the latest official figures, not a quote.

Reading the SRTIP price list

• The 2025 visa packages are described as including Emirates ID and e-channel registration; the 2026 Innovators prices exclude all visa costs. Compare totals, not headlines, and ask whether medical, insurance and deposits are inside the 2025 figures: two visas were AED 17,795 on the 2025 package and about AED 20,930 on the discounted Innovators route.
• The Innovators discount was first-year only. At renewal the full price applies. SRTI Park has not published the full Innovators price; doubling the promotion figures suggests AED 4,450 for the zero-visa tier, but that is our arithmetic, not a published number.
• Per-visa costs repeat. The immigration card and e-channel are company-level, but each visa has its own deposit and processing costs.
• Two owners can avoid the employment deposit. SRTI Park’s visa form says only two owner or manager names on the licence “can be exempted from the fees of employment guarantee deposits”, subject to signing its No Claim Declaration.

We quote our own fee separately and in writing; see our fees page.

Offices, labs and visa quotas at SRTI Park

At SRTI Park your workspace sets your visa ceiling. SRTI Park has published these options:

Office prices are not published. If you expect to hire more than two people in the first year, compare an SME office with a two-visa package before you sign; moving later is an amendment (“Office Type (Property Type) Change”).

SRTIP free zone visa and residency

SRTI Park is in Sharjah, so residence visas are issued through ICP and carry a Sharjah file number starting with 3. SRTI Park’s visa form is clear about who files: its “Investor Services Department SRTIP is the only one who is authorized to check and perform all applications related to the Immigration Departments and Foreigners Affairs for all registered companies in SRTIP”. Our ICP vs GDRFA guide explains what that changes compared with Dubai.

Rules on the park’s visa request form

• Entry permit: valid 60 days from issue; after entry you have 55 days to complete residence or cancel and leave.
• Passport validity: at least 8 months for an employment entry permit and 6 months for residence stamping, with blank pages.
• Tourist or transit visa holders must exit the country immediately after applying, unless they pay the fee to change status inside the UAE.
• Attested degrees: for professions such as engineer or accountant, the degree must be attested by the country of study’s consulate and the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs; owners and managers named on the licence are exempt.
• Presence: the applicant must be inside the UAE for new or renewed residence.
• Renewal: submit at least 20 days before expiry to avoid fines.
• Transfers: allowed in or out of the park where the sponsor is a government, semi-government or free zone entity; family visas must be cancelled before an inter-emirate transfer.
• Cancellation: dependants’ visas must be cancelled first, or a bank guarantee of AED 5,000 given (with prior approval). A sponsor can cancel without the passport if the employee has been outside the UAE more than 180 days.

Medical, Emirates ID and family

After the entry permit or change of status comes the medical fitness test (see our medical fitness test service), health insurance, residence stamping and Emirates ID biometrics; our Emirates ID service covers renewals and corrections. Family sponsorship follows ICP’s rules: a monthly income of AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 with housing, and for investors a possible guarantee of AED 3,000 per family member (maximum AED 15,000).

Golden Visa and long-term residence

SRTI Park’s partner services include “Guidance on all residency solutions, including Golden Visas”. Owning an SRTI Park company does not by itself qualify you. Innovators, researchers, scientists and investors each have their own ICP criteria; see our Golden investor visa service.

After cancellation, ICP’s grace period is 30, 60, 90 or 180 days depending on the permit type, and overstaying costs AED 50 a day. For a comparison of free zone and mainland visas, read free zone vs mainland visa.

Banking for an SRTI Park company

SRTI Park offers banking support and introductions to partner banks, and its accelerator helps with documentation. Banks look for substance: an office or lab lease, a real business plan, the source of funds and at least one UAE-resident signatory. Technology companies with investor funding should bring the term sheet or share purchase agreement and cap table. Our corporate bank account guide has the full checklist.

Tax for an SRTIP free zone company

Corporate tax

SRTI Park’s pages speak of “zero corporate and personal tax”. That is not the full picture. Every SRTI Park company must register for corporate tax (FTA Decision No. 3 of 2024; late registration penalty AED 10,000). The standard rate is 0% on the first AED 375,000 of taxable income and 9% above.

The 0% free zone rate applies only to a Qualifying Free Zone Person under Cabinet Decision No. 100 of 2023, on qualifying income, with adequate substance, audited accounts and non-qualifying revenue within the de minimis limit (the lower of AED 5 million or 5% of revenue). Qualifying activities are listed in Ministerial Decision No. 229 of 2025; manufacturing and processing of goods are on the list, income from transactions with other free zone persons can qualify, and most services sold to mainland customers do not. Check whether your specific R&D or technology income is listed before assuming 0%. For an R&D or manufacturing company at the park, the question deserves real modelling. Our corporate tax registration guide has the steps.

VAT and customs

SRTI Park is not a designated zone. The FTA’s published list under Cabinet Decision No. 59 of 2017 (as amended in 2018) names only Hamriyah Free Zone and Sharjah Airport International Free Zone for Sharjah. We read it from the FTA’s own PDF because its web page could not be fetched; check the current list. Ordinary 5% VAT applies, with registration once taxable supplies pass AED 375,000 a year. Goods imported for manufacturing pass UAE customs normally.

Mainland access from the SRTIP free zone

SRTI Park’s business setup page lists a “Dual Licensing Option (Freezone and Mainland)”, and its branch definitions include “a branch of an existing free zone company expanding into the mainland”. It does not publish the conditions or fees. Until you have them in writing, plan on one of these routes:

• Sell from the zone: services, software and exports can be sold to UAE and overseas clients from the park.
• Sharjah mainland licence: the Sharjah Economic Development Department’s licence card charges 13% of the rent value for non-UAE nationals (minimum AED 1,300), a commercial register certificate from 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. The department’s service guide (checked 26 September 2026) shows no separate permit for free zone companies.
• Dubai: Executive Council Resolution No. 11 of 2025 created a Free Zone Mainland Operating Permit for companies in Dubai free zones; we have not seen it extended to Sharjah zones.
• Distributor or agent for goods sold into the local market.

If mainland sales will dominate, compare with mainland company formation in Dubai.

Renewal and compliance for an SRTIP company

Renewal

Lease and licence are renewed together on the park’s “Application for Lease and License Renewal”. The form asks for payment proof, passport copies of all shareholders, the authorised representative’s ID, an attested good standing certificate or registration proof for branches, Sharjah Civil Aviation approval for aviation activities and, for plots or shell-and-core units, building completion or permit, safety fitness and utility connection documents. Late renewal penalties are not published on the website; ask for them in writing.

Beneficial owners, AML and economic substance

• UBO: Cabinet Decision No. 109 of 2023 requires a register of beneficial owners, shareholders and nominee directors and a UAE-resident point of contact. SRTI Park’s FAQ says new companies “must file within 15 days of incorporation”; the Cabinet Decision gives 60 days from licensing. File early and you satisfy both. Penalties sit in Cabinet Decision No. 132 of 2023. See our UBO register guide.
• AML: designated non-financial businesses must register on goAML and report under Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025; the park’s compliance page links the federal rules.
• Audit: SRTI Park runs an audit company request form and works with accredited audit partners. Audited accounts are required to keep Qualifying Free Zone Person status.
• Amendments: SRTI Park lists name, entity type, shareholders, capital, directors, signatories, manager, secretary, activities, office type and address changes, each on its own application form.

Pros and cons of the SRTIP free zone

Who SRTI Park suits

• AI, software, robotics and IoT start-ups that want an innovation community and investor access.
• Engineering, advanced manufacturing and 3D printing companies that need labs or industrial space.
• Health tech, clean tech and agri-tech ventures working with universities.
• University spin-outs and student founders (SRTI Park lists student packages).
• Overseas tech companies opening a regional R&D branch.

Who should look elsewhere

• Media, marketing and content businesses: Shams free zone or Sharjah Publishing City.
• Clinics, labs and healthcare providers: Sharjah Healthcare City.
• Warehousing, re-export and heavy industry: SAIF Zone or Hamriyah Free Zone.
• Tech firms that need a Dubai address: Dubai Silicon Oasis.

Worked cases: SRTIP 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 two-founder AI start-up

Two engineers want an FZC with AI development, AI training and software consultancy, and visas for both. On the Innovators route, the park’s own worked example was about AED 20,930 for year one with two visas (package AED 4,000 at the promotion price plus AED 8,465 per visa). Because both founders are owners named on the licence, they can ask to be exempted from the employment guarantee deposit by signing the park’s No Claim Declaration. They budget the renewal at full price.

Case 2: a European engineering firm opening an R&D branch

The parent wants to test products with Sharjah universities. It opens a foreign branch: certificate of registration and good standing, memorandum and articles, and a board resolution guaranteeing “full financial commitment”, notarised and legalised, with an Arabic or English translation. It takes an SME office for up to eight visas and books lab time. Each renewal needs a fresh attested good standing certificate, so the parent’s company secretary diarises it.

Case 3: a solo consultant on a zero-visa licence

She lives in Sharjah on her husband’s visa and consults on sustainability for regional clients. The zero-visa package (AED 5,500 on the park’s 2025 figures) covers up to five activities and a registered address. She checks that consulting for mainland clients is income taxed at the standard rates, not qualifying income, and registers for corporate tax within the FTA deadline.

Case 4: a manufacturer leasing a plot

A company assembling electric vehicle components takes a shell-and-core unit. Its licence is industrial, and each renewal needs the building completion certificate or a valid permit, a safety fitness certificate and power and water connection from the park’s project management department. Because it sells to mainland distributors, it models whether its manufacturing income qualifies for the 0% free zone rate.

Case 5: hiring an engineer from abroad

The company applies for an employment entry permit through the park’s Investor Services Department. The engineer’s degree is attested in the country of study and by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs first, because the profession requires it. The entry permit is valid 60 days; after arrival the engineer has 55 days to complete medical, residence and Emirates ID biometrics.

What circulates online about SRTIP that is not true

How to verify every figure in this guide

What we will and will not do

• We will give you the route, the park’s published figures and our fee in writing before you pay.
• We will tell you if another zone fits better, including cheaper ones.
• We will pass on SRTI Park, ICP and government fees at cost with their receipts.
• We will not promise a licence, visa, bank account or tax outcome.
• We will not present ourselves as SRTI Park or its partner. We are an independent consultancy.

Related guides

• Sharjah free zones compared
• Shams free zone company setup
• SAIF Zone company setup
• Hamriyah Free Zone company setup
• Sharjah Healthcare City free zone
• Sharjah Publishing City free zone
• Dubai Silicon Oasis company setup
• Corporate tax registration in the UAE
• UBO register in the UAE

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.