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SharjahMediaGeneral business✓ Checked 2026-10-24

Sharjah Media City Free Zone (Shams) (SHAMS)

مدينة الشارقة للإعلام (شمس)

SHAMS publishes 2 current packages, the lowest without stated conditions at AED 5,760 for year 1, states incorporation in 1 day and requires at least a flexi-desk (checked 2026-10-24).

Sharjah Media City Free Zone (Shams) (SHAMS) is a media and general business free zone in Sharjah, licensed by Sharjah Media City Free Zone Authority (Shams), established in 2017.

Official sources onlyOfficial site ↗Online portal ↗

Key facts

Solo, no visa · year 1
AED 5,760
Media Package: visa quota not stated
Founder + 1 visa · year 1
Not published
No published package for 1 visa with this office type. One founder with one residence visa, flexi-desk or virtual office.
Team, 3 visas · year 1
Not published
No published package for 3 visas with this office type. Three residence visas, flexi-desk or small office.
Lowest package, any size
AED 5,760
Media Package · packages with stated conditions excluded
Licence fee from
AED 5,385
Largest visa quota
Not published
No package states a quota
Minimum office
Flexi-desk
Incorporation
1 day
As stated by the zone
Min. share capital
Not published
General trading
Yes
VAT Designated Zone
No
FTA list
Annual audit
Yes

Verified on 2026-10-24 from shamsfz.ae, tax.gov.ae.

Figures as published by the zone. “Not published” means no official source states it. Scenario prices are the published package closest to each set-up: solo, no visa = one founder, no residence visa, no office beyond a desk or virtual address, one activity; founder + 1 visa = one founder with one residence visa, flexi-desk or virtual office; team, 3 visas = three residence visas, flexi-desk or small office.

Published packages

Standard Package

AED 6,885year 1

Flexi-desk · 5 activities

  • 100% foreign ownership
  • License issued as LLC
  • Any 5 business activities
  • No NOC required
  • Flexi desk & Lease Agreement provided
  • Not included: Visa costs
  • Not included: Medical cost (paid directly to medical centre)
  • Not included: E-channel registration fees where applicable
Renewal not publishedSource ↗
Lowest priceFits: Solo, no visa

Media Package

AED 5,760year 1

Flexi-desk · 5 activities

  • 100% foreign ownership
  • License issued as LLC
  • Up to 5 media activities
  • No NOC required
  • Flexi desk & Lease Agreement provided
  • Not included: Visa costs
  • Not included: Medical cost (paid directly to medical centre)
  • Not included: E-channel registration fees where applicable
Renewal not publishedSource ↗

Verified on 2026-10-24 from shamsfz.ae.

Packages differ in what they include; compare visas, office and fees before choosing.

Identity and legal basis

Official name (Arabic)
مدينة الشارقة للإعلام (شمس) ↗
Former, merged or alternative names
SHAMS (Sharjah Media City) ↗
Licensing / regulating authority
Sharjah Media City Free Zone Authority (Shams) ↗
Parent group / government body
Sharjah Media Council ↗
Zone type
Media, General business ↗
Year established
2017 ↗
Official website
shamsfz.ae ↗
Online application portal
portal.shams.ae ↗
Listed on the Ministry of Economy and Tourism register of free-zone company registrars
Yes ↗
  • Physical locations / campuses: Al Messaned, Al Bataeh, Sharjah. [1]
  • Public contact email: info@shamsfz.ae. [1]
  • Public contact phone: 800 74267 (inside UAE); +971 6 504 0000. [2]
  1. [1] shamsfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  2. [2] shamsfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from shamsfz.ae, og.shj.ae, shams.ae and 1 more official source.

Business activities

Official approved activity list
shamsfz.ae/business-setup/business-activities ↗
Licence types offered
Services / consultancy, Trading, Industrial, Media, General trading ↗
General trading licence available
Yes ↗
  • Total number of approved activities: 1,857. [1]
  • Activity categories offered: Services & Consultancy; Wholesale & Retail; Media. [1]
  • Activities included in base licence: 5. [2]
  • Trading and services on one licence: yes. [3]
  • Activities needing another authority's approval: Advertising (POST, National Media Authority); Games Publishing (POST, National Media Authority); Provision of mailbox rental and other mailing activities (except direct mail advertising) (PRE, Emirates Post Group (EPG)). [1]
  • Restricted activities: contraband products or products boycotted by any Competent Authority; any goods, products or services prohibited by the laws, regulations or rules of the Emirate of Sharjah or the UAE. [4]
  • Conditions for general trading: No external approval flagged for 'General Trading' (4690.97); sold under the Standard package. No other conditions published. [1]
  1. [1] shamsfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  2. [2] shamsfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  3. [3] shamsfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  4. [4] shamsfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from shamsfz.ae.

Cost - year one

Lowest licence fee (zero-visa)
AED 5,385 ↗
  • Visa fees: Official calculator (estimate, unlabelled components): 1600 per visa per licence year; 330 per visa; 2200 per investor visa or 3700 per employee visa; plus 640 and 2280 once per company when any visa is taken. Medical paid separately to the medical centre; health insurance required but not priced. [1]
  • Extras included: Flexi desk & Lease Agreement; No NOC required. [2]
  1. [1] shamsfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  2. [2] shamsfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from shamsfz.ae.

Cost - ongoing

  • Late renewal penalty: Real Estate Regulations 2024 Schedule 1: failure to renew Lease or Occupancy Agreement within 1 month after licence expiry AED 2,500; 2 months AED 5,000; 3 months AED 7,500; 4 months AED 10,000. C&L Regulations 2024 art. 13.2(m): licence may be cancelled if not renewed for more than 6 months after expiry. [1]
  • Multi-year licence discounts: Official calculator applies a discount to the licence component: 2% for 2 years, 3% for 3, 4% for 4, 5% for 5, 10% for 10 years. [2]
  • Current promotions and expiry: . [3]
  1. [1] shamsfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  2. [2] shamsfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  3. [3] shamsfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from shamsfz.ae.

Visas and residency

  • Visa quota rule: Up to 50 visas per licence, depending on business activity and office space allocation; visa allocation above 10 requires a business plan and bank statements for review. [1]
  • How to increase quota and cost: Portal: Company management - Company formation - Visa allocation amendment; allocation above 10 needs business plan and bank statements. Cost not published. [1]
  • Investor / partner visa available: yes. [1]
  • Employee visa available: yes. [1]
  • Dependant / family visa sponsorship allowed: yes. [1]
  • Typical visa processing time: 4 days. [2]
  • Time in the UAE to keep a visa valid: No SHAMS rule for investor/employee visa holders found. FAQ says a dependant visa may become invalid if the holder stays outside the UAE more than 6 months. [1]
  • Visa process can start before the founder arrives: yes. [2]
  1. [1] shamsfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  2. [2] shamsfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from shamsfz.ae.

Office and facilities

Minimum facility requirement
Flexi-desk ↗
Office / facility types
Flexi-desk ↗

Verified on 2026-10-24 from shamsfz.ae.

Market access and customs

Physical operations on the mainland allowed without an extra licence
No ↗
  • Customs duty in the zone: Decree 11/2017 art. 5(10) allows companies to import and store products for re-export or for delivery to the Emirate's customs area, in coordination with the relevant authorities. No zone customs-duty rule published on shamsfz.ae; FAQ notes import/export code is obtained from UAE Customs and valid at all UAE ports. [1]
  1. [1] og.shj.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from shamsfz.ae, og.shj.ae.

Tax status

VAT Designated Zone (per the FTA list)
No ↗
  • Which areas of zone are designated: None - not on the FTA list of Designated Zones. [1]
  • Help with corporate tax registration: yes. [2]

Corporate-tax statements above come from the zone or from general FTA guidance. The schedule of Free Zones under Cabinet Resolution 54/2023 was not available to this research, and the FTA advises taxpayers to confirm their Free Zone or Designated Zone status with the Free Zone authority. The 0% rate applies only to the Qualifying Income of a Qualifying Free Zone Person that meets all conditions; other income is taxed at the standard rate.

  1. [1] tax.gov.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  2. [2] shamsfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from tax.gov.ae, shamsfz.ae.

Compliance and reporting

Annual audited financial statements required by the zone
Yes ↗
Beneficial-owner register filing required
Yes ↗
  • Substance requirements enforced by zone: Zone points licensees to UAE ESR filings (Cabinet Resolution 57/2020) in C&L Regs art. 78 and its compliance page. Real Estate Regs Schedule 1 penalise a licensee not physically present at its declared address for 30 days (excluding shared-facilities arrangements): AED 10,000. [1]
  • Activities needing anti-money-laundering registration: Real Estate; Precious Metals and Stones; Accounting and Auditing Services; Company Service Providers; Legal Consultancy Firms (Except for Lawyers, and Notary Publics). [2]
  • Annual return and renewal documents: Licence renewal (before expiry); Audited financial statements; UBO data kept up to date. [1]
  1. [1] shamsfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  2. [2] shamsfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from shamsfz.ae.

Banking

Zone offers bank-account facilitation
Yes ↗

Verified on 2026-10-24 from shamsfz.ae.

Setup process and speed

Typical incorporation time stated by the zone
1 day ↗
Direct application without an agent
Yes ↗
  • Documents for an individual shareholder: Passport; EID or visa (if applicable). [1]
  • Attestation requirements for corporate shareholders: For corporate owners holding 25% or more: certificate of incorporation, memorandum of association, certificate of incumbency or good standing (issued within 90 days), share register if applicable, board resolution, ownership structure chart. No attestation requirement stated. [1]
  • Trade name rules: Name must be approved by the Authority; no identical or similar name to another entity in the City; a Trade Name different from the registered name needs Authority approval. [2]
  1. [1] shamsfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  2. [2] shamsfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from shamsfz.ae.

Operations, ecosystem and flexibility

  • Moving to larger premises: At renewal, the portal's 'Renewal with Amendment' allows changing package, activities, company name, visa allocation, facility or stakeholders. [1]
  • Adding shareholders: Share transfers must be notified to the Authority within 15 business days; stakeholder amendments may need a separate immigration-card amendment. No fee published. [2]
  • Moving a company in or out (re-domiciliation): yes. [2]
  • Multi-year licence options: 1 year; 2 years; 3 years; 4 years; 5 years; 10 years. [3]
  1. [1] shamsfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  2. [2] shamsfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  3. [3] shamsfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from shamsfz.ae.

Industry-specific regulation

  • Media content licensing / filming permits: Media activities often need external approval: 78 activities flagged for the National Media Authority and 64 for the Media Regulatory Office (MRO). FAQ: an Advertiser Permit may be needed for advertising/marketing on digital platforms. [1]
  • Healthcare and education approvals: Activity list flags approvals from Ministry Of Health (10 activities) and Sharjah Health Authority (4); 6 activities sit under 'Education'. [1]
  • Hazardous goods and environmental approvals: Activity list flags approvals from Sharjah Civil Defence Authority (12 activities), Ministry Of Climate Change And Environment (8), Sharjah Municipality units. [1]
  1. [1] shamsfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from shamsfz.ae.

Activity fit (our view)

Needs a regulator's approval

  • None

Not offered

  • None

Our assessment from the zone's published licence types. Always confirm your exact activity on the zone's official activity list. Official activity list ↗ Licence types the zone publishes: Services / consultancy, Trading, Industrial, Media, General trading.

Verified on 2026-10-24 from shamsfz.ae.

Notes and history

  1. Legal basis · 2017-02-13

    Amiri Decree No. 11 of 2017, dated 13 February 2017, reorganised Sharjah Media City as a free zone authority with the short name Shams, placed it under the Sharjah Media Council, and cancelled Amiri Decree No. 10 of 2016 on the city's establishment. [source]

  2. History · 2024

    The Companies and Licensing Regulations 2024 amend the 2017 version and took effect on the date they were signed, which the published text does not show. The zone's rules page also lists Employment Regulations 2023, Real Estate Regulations 2024 and Companies Liquidation Regulations 2024 alongside the earlier 2017 and 2018 versions. [source 1][source 2]

  3. Good to know

    Under the Companies and Licensing Regulations 2024, a company that wants to dispute the Authority's application of the regulations, including a penalty or fine, refers it to the committee or division of the Authority set up to hear such disputes. [source]

  4. Names

    Business setup is marketed as 'Shams Free Zone' on shamsfz.ae, while shams.ae is Sharjah Media City's corporate site and links to shamsfz.ae for setup. The regulations use the name Sharjah Media City Free Zone Authority. [source 1][source 2]

  5. Good to know

    The zone's About Us page gives its area as 2 million square metres in Al Messaned, Sharjah. [source]

Verified on 2026-10-24 from shamsfz.ae, og.shj.ae, shams.ae.

Questions worth asking

How much does a SHAMS licence cost?

The lowest package SHAMS advertises is AED 5,760 for the first year (Media Package). Packages differ in what they include, so check visas, office and fees before comparing.

Does SHAMS require a physical office?

The minimum facility SHAMS states is: flexi-desk. Facility types offered: flexi-desk.

How long does SHAMS company setup take?

SHAMS states about 1 day for incorporation. Visas take extra time after the licence is issued.

Can I get a general trading licence in SHAMS?

Yes, SHAMS offers a general trading licence.

Is SHAMS a VAT Designated Zone?

SHAMS does not appear on the Federal Tax Authority's list of VAT Designated Zones.

About this data

Every fact comes from SHAMS's own channels or a UAE government source, linked next to it. Last checked 2026-10-24. Information collected from free-zone authorities and UAE government sources on the dates shown. Fees and rules change; the zone's current schedule prevails. Not legal, tax or financial advice.

Rules for every zone

Explained in the guides on corporate tax, VAT Designated Zones and mainland access.

How we check

Prices are re-checked every 90 days and other facts on a schedule. How we verify →