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SharjahGeneral businessSpecialised✓ Checked 2026-10-24

Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone (SPC Free Zone)

المنطقة الحرة لمدينة الشارقة للنشر

SPC Free Zone publishes 4 current packages, the lowest without stated conditions at AED 13,175 for year 1, offers up to 1 visa in a published package and states incorporation in 1 day (checked 2026-10-24).

Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone (SPC Free Zone) is a general business and specialised free zone in Sharjah, licensed by Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone (SPC Free Zone) - acts as its own company registrar and supervisory authority, established in 2017.

Official sources onlyOfficial site ↗Online portal ↗

Key facts

Solo, no visa · year 1
AED 13,175
License with 1 investor visa (selected activities): the smallest published package covers 1 visa
Founder + 1 visa · year 1
AED 13,175
License with 1 investor visa (selected activities)
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 13,175
License with 1 investor visa (selected activities) · packages with stated conditions excluded
Licence fee from
AED 5,750
Largest visa quota
1
In a published package
Minimum office
Not published
Incorporation
1 day
As stated by the zone
Min. share capital
Not published
General trading
Yes
VAT Designated Zone
No
FTA list
Annual audit
Not published

Verified on 2026-10-24 from spcfz.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

Conditions apply

Business license only, 0 visa (selected activities)

AED 5,750year 1

0 visas · 5 activities

  • one-year business license
  • company registration costs
  • up to 5 activity groups
  • lease agreement (facility type not stated)
  • up to 7 shareholders
  • Not included: residence visas
  • Not included: value-added services
  • Not included: other one-time charges
  • Not included: AED 10 knowledge fee shown separately in calculator
Renewal not publishedSource ↗
Conditions apply

General trading license only, 0 visa

AED 6,875year 1

0 visas · 5 activities

  • one-year business license
  • up to 5 activity groups
  • Not included: visas
  • Not included: value-added services
Renewal not publishedSource ↗
Lowest priceFits: Solo, no visaFits: Founder + 1 visa

License with 1 investor visa (selected activities)

AED 13,175year 1

1 visa · 5 activities

  • business license
  • visa allocation AED 1,600
  • establishment card AED 640
  • e-channel registration AED 2,280
  • investor visa processing AED 2,895 incl. medical and Emirates ID
  • Not included: change of status AED 700 (if applicant is inside UAE)
  • Not included: medical health insurance
  • Not included: value-added services
Renewal not publishedSource ↗

General trading license with visa

AED 14,300year 1

1 visa · 5 activities

  • general trading license
  • visa allocation
  • Not included: value-added services
Renewal not publishedSource ↗

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

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

Identity and legal basis

Official name (Arabic)
المنطقة الحرة لمدينة الشارقة للنشر ↗
Former, merged or alternative names
SPC Free Zone (Sharjah Publishing City) ↗
Licensing / regulating authority
Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone (SPC Free Zone) - acts as its own company registrar and supervisory authority ↗
Zone type
General business, Specialised ↗
Year established
2017 ↗
Official website
spcfz.ae ↗
Online application portal
portal.spcfz.ae/frontend/login ↗
Listed on the Ministry of Economy and Tourism register of free-zone company registrars
Yes ↗
  • Physical locations / campuses: E311, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Rd, Al Zahia, Sharjah. [1]
  • Public contact email: more@spcfz.ae. [1]
  • Public contact phone: 800 77239 (800 SPCFZ); from overseas +971 800 77239. [1]
  1. [1] spcfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from spcfz.ae, moet.gov.ae.

Business activities

Official approved activity list
spcfz.ae/business-activities ↗
Licence types offered
General trading, Trading, Services / consultancy, E-commerce ↗
General trading licence available
Yes ↗
  • Total number of approved activities: 2,034. [1]
  • Activity categories offered: General Trading; Professional Services; IT Services; E-Commerce; Administrative Services; Marketing Services; Publishing. [2]
  • Activities included in base licence: 5. [1]
  • Fee per additional activity: AED 2,200. [1]
  • Trading and services on one licence: yes. [3]
  • Conditions for general trading: Licence-only price AED 6,875 (vs AED 5,750 for selected other activities); up to 5 activity groups; no warehouse lease required; no NOC required; selling into the local UAE market described as indirect via a registered local distributor. [4]
  1. [1] spcfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  2. [2] spcfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  3. [3] spcfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  4. [4] spcfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24

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

Cost - year one

Lowest licence fee (zero-visa)
AED 5,750 ↗
  • Establishment / immigration card fee: AED 640. [1]
  • Cost per visa: AED 4,495. [2]
  • Visa fees: Visa allocation AED 1,600 per visa; investor visa with Emirates ID AED 2,530 + medical test AED 365 (processing 2,895); employee visa processing AED 4,065 (includes medical 365 and Emirates ID 330 per calculator); change of status AED 700 if inside UAE; one-time establishment card AED 640 and e-channel registration AED 2,280; health insurance not included; dependent visa AED 5,000 each. [3]
  • Extras included: Lease agreement with every business license; Partner benefits advertised as worth AED 31,000+ (e.g. Zoho credits, website package, WhatsApp marketing plan, co-working trial); Up to 7 shareholders at no extra cost. [4]
  1. [1] spcfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  2. [2] spcfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  3. [3] spcfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  4. [4] spcfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24

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

Cost - ongoing

  • Multi-year licence discounts: 2-year licence 10% off, 3-year 15%, 5-year 17%, 10-year 20%; multi-year terms 'lock today's fees'. [1]
  • Current promotions and expiry: Interest-free instalments over 3, 6 or 12 months (no end date shown); Refer-a-friend reward up to AED 1,500 (no end date shown). [2]
  1. [1] spcfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  2. [2] spcfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24

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

Visas and residency

  • Visa quota rule: Unlimited visa quota advertised for investors, partners and employees, not tied to office size; each visa requires a AED 1,600 visa allocation. [1]
  • How to increase quota and cost: Visas can be added at licence registration or later; each additional visa requires a AED 1,600 visa allocation. [2]
  • Investor / partner visa available: yes. [3]
  • Employee visa available: yes. [3]
  • Dependant / family visa sponsorship allowed: yes. [4]
  • Typical visa processing time: 5 days. [1]
  1. [1] spcfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  2. [2] spcfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  3. [3] spcfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  4. [4] spcfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24

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

Office and facilities

Office / facility types
Virtual office, Flexi-desk, Private office, Retail unit, Warehouse ↗
Warehouse available
Yes ↗
  • Meeting rooms, co-working, amenities: co-working space; meeting rooms; conference facilities; virtual receptionist service. [1]
  1. [1] spcfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24

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

Market access and customs

  • Customs duty in the zone: No zone-specific customs duty relief stated by SPC. SPC's customs page says import clearance into Sharjah involves paying relevant duties and taxes, handled by Sharjah Ports, Customs and Free Zone Authority; SPC arranges customs codes (via ICB) for six UAE ports. SPC is not on the FTA VAT Designated Zones list (2021). [1]
  1. [1] spcfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24

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

Tax status

VAT Designated Zone (per the FTA list)
No ↗
  • Help with corporate tax registration: yes. [1]

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] spcfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24

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

Compliance and reporting

Beneficial-owner register filing required
Yes ↗
  • Activities needing anti-money-laundering registration: real estate; legal services; dealers in precious metals and stones; trust and company service providers; auditors. [1]
  1. [1] spcfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24

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

Banking

Zone offers bank-account facilitation
Yes ↗

Verified on 2026-10-24 from spcfz.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 copy of shareholders, directors and managers; UAE visa copy and Emirates ID (if UAE resident); Proof of address (if applicable); Company documents for corporate shareholders/branches (MoA/AoA, certificate of incorporation, parent documents). [1]
  1. [1] spcfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24

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

Operations, ecosystem and flexibility

  • Adding shareholders: At setup, up to 7 shareholders included; AED 1,000 per additional shareholder; maximum 100. [1]
  • Multi-year licence options: 1 year; 2 years; 3 years; 5 years; 10 years. [1]
  1. [1] spcfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24

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

Freelancer and solo founder

Freelancer permit available
No ↗

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

Industry-specific regulation

  • E-commerce platforms and partners: marketplace/fulfilment/payment partners: Amazon; Grow With Amazon; Aramex; FedEx; DHL Express UAE; Telr; Tap Payments; Network International; HyperPay. [1]
  1. [1] spcfz.ae · opened 2026-10-24

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

Activity fit (our view)

Needs a regulator's approval

  • 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: General trading, Trading, Services / consultancy, E-commerce.

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

Notes and history

  1. Good to know

    The Sharjah Book Authority's website includes a page on Sharjah Publishing City, which describes it as covering 65,000 square metres with offices, pre-built warehouses and freehold property for sale and lease. [source]

  2. Good to know

    Acting as company registrar and supervisory authority, SPC Free Zone carries out inspections of its registered companies for beneficial-ownership and anti-money-laundering compliance under Cabinet Decisions No. 109 and No. 132 of 2023. [source]

  3. Good to know

    The zone's home page states that a lease agreement is issued with every business licence. [source]

Verified on 2026-10-24 from spcfz.ae, sba.gov.ae.

Questions worth asking

How much does a SPC Free Zone licence cost?

The lowest package SPC Free Zone advertises is AED 13,175 for the first year (License with 1 investor visa (selected activities)). Packages differ in what they include, so check visas, office and fees before comparing.

How many visas come with a SPC Free Zone package?

The largest visa quota in a package SPC Free Zone publishes is 1. Larger quotas usually need more office space; ask the zone for the rule that applies to you.

How long does SPC Free Zone company setup take?

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

Can I get a general trading licence in SPC Free Zone?

Yes, SPC Free Zone offers a general trading licence.

Is SPC Free Zone a VAT Designated Zone?

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

About this data

Every fact comes from SPC Free Zone'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 →