SHAMS Free Zone (Sharjah Media City) in 2026: Packages, Visa Costs and How to Set Up

SHAMS Free Zone — Sharjah Media City — is one of the cheapest ways to get a UAE company licence and residence visa, and it's especially popular with content creators, agencies and freelancers in media. This guide is for founders comparing Sharjah's free zones. It gives you the prices SHAMS's own cost calculator used when we read it on 9 October 2026, explains what each visa line really costs, walks through the online setup, and compares SHAMS with SPC, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain using each zone's published figures.

Quick answer

SHAMS (Sharjah Media City) is a Sharjah government free zone set up in 2017 for media and creative businesses. Its own calculator prices a one-year licence at AED 5,375 (Media package) or AED 6,500 (Standard package), each with up to up to 5 activities, a flexi desk and a lease. With one investor visa, the Standard package came to AED 13,935 in the calculator, before medicals and insurance.

• Licences are issued as an LLC without 'FZ' in the name; 100% foreign ownership

• Up to up to 50 visas per licence; more than 10 needs a business plan

• First visa adds a one-off AED 640 immigration card and AED 2,280 e-channel

• Prices are estimates, include VAT and aren't dated — get a written quote

What SHAMS Free Zone is

SHAMS stands for Sharjah Media City. It was established in 2017 by an Emiri decree issued by Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah, as a free zone for media and creative industries. Its public site, shams.ae, presents it as a creative hub with a podcast recording room, filming locations, workshop and event spaces, meeting rooms and workspaces. Company formation is handled through a separate business-setup site, shamsfz.ae, which runs the packages, cost calculator and customer portal.

The zone's name still says "media", but it's no longer only for media companies. SHAMS sells two packages: a Media package, limited to media activities, and a Standard package, which lets you pick any five business activities. That's why you'll see SHAMS on shortlists for consultants, e-commerce sellers, IT freelancers and small trading start-ups, not only for videographers and publishers.

One thing that sets SHAMS apart is the legal form. It issues licences as a limited liability company without the "FZ" designation in the name, so your trade name can read like a mainland company's. Ownership can be 100% foreign with no local partner. SHAMS also advertises no NOC requirement for founders who are already employed elsewhere in the UAE, and a fully online setup that it says can produce a licence in under 60 minutes once your application is complete.

Who SHAMS suits, and who should look elsewhere

SHAMS works well for owner-managed businesses that want a UAE residence visa and a legitimate company at a low cost: content creators, social media and digital marketing agencies, photographers, video producers, writers, event and PR consultants, designers and developers. It also suits founders abroad who want to set up remotely and move later. It's less suited to businesses that need a warehouse, a factory, a retail shop serving walk-in customers on the mainland, or a prestige Dubai business address. Those firms usually look at Hamriyah, a mainland licence, or a Dubai free zone instead.

SHAMS packages and prices as published (October 2026)

SHAMS's packages page lists what each package includes but no prices. The prices sit in its online cost calculator, which SHAMS labels as an estimate. When we read the calculator's pricing on 9 October 2026, the yearly licence cost was:

SHAMS one-year licence (official calculator, read 9 Oct 2026)

AED 5,375

Media package licence

up to 5 media activities

AED 6,500

Standard package licence

any 5 business activities

AED 6,885

Standard total, no visa

with fixed calculator lines

up to 50 visas

Visa ceiling per licence

subject to activity and facility

Both packages include 100% foreign ownership, an LLC licence, up to five activities, a flexi desk and a lease agreement. The calculator adds two small fixed lines on top of the licence fee — AED 10 and AED 375 for each licence year — so the one-year total with no visas was AED 5,760 for Media and AED 6,885 for Standard. SHAMS's packages page says its prices include VAT, and that e-channel registration is charged separately where applicable.

Multi-year licences and payment plans

You can take a licence for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 10 years. The calculator applies a discount that grows with the term: 2% for two years, 3% for three, 4% for four, 5% for five and 10% for ten. A long licence protects you from price rises, but it ties up cash and you still have to keep the company compliant every year. SHAMS also advertises buy-now-pay-later through Tabby and Tamara and monthly instalments through partner banks, which helps if the first-year bill is the hurdle.

What isn't included

The package price doesn't cover residence visas, the immigration card and e-channel (needed only if you want visas), medical tests, health insurance, a dedicated office, outside approvals for regulated activities, or optional services. SHAMS's calculator offers bank-account opening assistance for AED 2,000, and its add-on menu includes VIP medicals, health insurance, MOFA attestation, corporate tax registration and bookkeeping. None of these are compulsory, and you can often arrange them yourself for less.

Licence types and activities

SHAMS doesn't split licences into "commercial", "service" and "industrial" products the way some zones do. You choose a package, then up to five activities. The Media package restricts you to media activities — think content creation, film and video production, photography, publishing, broadcasting, advertising services, event management and similar creative work. The Standard package lets you combine any five activities across sectors, so a founder could pair consultancy with e-commerce, marketing and IT services on one licence.

Activities can be amended after incorporation, so you aren't stuck if the business changes direction. Some activities need approval from another authority before or after licensing. SHAMS's FAQ notes, for example, that advertising activities may require an Advertiser Permit — the UAE's licence for people who promote products or services on social media for payment. Anything touching finance, health, education, food or regulated media content may also need outside approval, which adds time and cost. Ask SHAMS to confirm in writing whether your activities need one before you pay.

Visas: what each one costs

A SHAMS licence can hold up to up to 50 visas, depending on your activity and office facility. SHAMS's FAQ says that if you want an allocation above more than 10 visas, you must submit a business plan and bank statements. To start any visa, the company needs a valid e-channel registration, an immigration (establishment) card and an available allocation.

SHAMS visa-related costs (official calculator, read 9 Oct 2026)

Item	Amount	When you pay
Immigration card	AED 640	Once, with your first visa
E-channel registration	AED 2,280	Once, with your first visa
Visa allocation	AED 1,600 per visa	Each visa, each licence year
Emirates ID typing	AED 330 per visa	Each visa
Investor visa processing	AED 2,200	Each investor or partner visa
Employee visa processing	AED 3,700	Each employee visa
Medical test	Paid to the medical centre	Each visa

Immigration card

Amount

AED 640

When you pay

Once, with your first visa

E-channel registration

Amount

AED 2,280

When you pay

Once, with your first visa

Visa allocation

Amount

AED 1,600 per visa

When you pay

Each visa, each licence year

Emirates ID typing

Amount

AED 330 per visa

When you pay

Each visa

Investor visa processing

Amount

AED 2,200

When you pay

Each investor or partner visa

Employee visa processing

Amount

AED 3,700

When you pay

Each employee visa

Medical test

Amount

Paid to the medical centre

When you pay

Each visa

The calculator also says change of status applies only if the person is already inside the UAE when the visa is processed, and its cost isn't in the totals. Health insurance is a condition of residence and is also extra. Emirates IDs are usually issued within 7–10 working days after biometrics and visa approval, according to SHAMS's FAQ.

Family visas follow the usual UAE rules: you sponsor your spouse and children once you hold residence, meet the salary requirement and provide attested marriage and birth certificates. If family sponsorship is your goal, ask SHAMS for its dependent-visa fees in writing, because the calculator doesn't price them.

Worked example: one founder, one investor visa

Rania is a freelance video producer moving from Cairo. She wants a company for her clients in the Gulf, a residence visa for herself, and room to add an editor later. She compares both SHAMS packages for one year, one investor visa and no bank-account help, using the calculator figures read on 9 October 2026:

Because video production is a media activity, the Media package saves her 1,125 dirhams. If she later wanted to add an unrelated activity such as general trading, she'd need the Standard package. Hiring an editor would add another visa allocation, Emirates ID typing and the AED 3,700 employee processing fee — about AED 5,630 — plus medical and insurance. The immigration card and e-channel aren't charged again.

In year two she renews the licence and pays the allocation for each active visa again, but not the one-off immigration card or e-channel set-up. Her residence visa runs on its own cycle. Ask SHAMS for its renewal quote before you sign, so the year-two figure doesn't surprise you.

How to set up in SHAMS Free Zone

1. 1

   Choose a package and activities

   Decide between the Media and Standard packages and list up to five activities. Check whether any activity needs outside approval or an Advertiser Permit.

   SHAMS cost calculator
2. 2

   Get an estimate and a written quote

   Run the calculator for your licence term and visa count, then ask a SHAMS adviser to confirm the figures and the renewal price in writing.

3. 3

   Apply online and upload documents

   Submit passport copies and a passport-size photo with a white background (no glasses or jewellery) for each shareholder, plus ultimate beneficial owner details. Applications after 11:00 AM count from the next working day.

4. 4

   Pay and receive your licence

   Pay by card, BNPL or instalments. SHAMS issues the licence, lease and company documents electronically.

5. 5

   Process visas

   Register the e-channel and immigration card, then apply for each visa: entry permit or change of status, medical test, Emirates ID biometrics.

   Tip: Book your medical early — it's often the slowest step.

6. 6

   Register for tax and open a bank account

   Register for corporate tax with the FTA within 3 months of incorporation, and for VAT if you cross the threshold. Then apply for a business bank account.

Offices, banking and corporate shareholders

The flexi desk and lease agreement in both packages give you the registered address and tenancy document that licensing requires, and that's what most solo founders use. If you need a private office, a studio or more visas than a flexi desk supports, ask SHAMS for a facility quote, because office prices aren't published in the calculator. SHAMS also offers a P.O. Box for an extra annual fee.

Opening a business bank account is usually the slowest part of the whole process. UAE banks want to see that the company has real activity: signed client contracts or invoices, a residence visa for the signatory, and sometimes a physical office. A flexi-desk company can open an account, but expect questions and allow several weeks. SHAMS's paid bank-account assistance speeds up the paperwork but can't guarantee approval.

If a shareholder is another company rather than a person, budget extra time and money for attested corporate documents — certificate of incorporation, board resolution and constitutional documents — legalised in the home country and by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs. SHAMS sells MOFA attestation as an add-on.

Corporate tax and VAT for SHAMS companies

Being in a free zone doesn't take you outside UAE corporate tax. Every SHAMS company must register with the Federal Tax Authority within 3 months of incorporation and file an annual return, even if it owes nothing; registering late costs AED 10,000. A company that meets the Qualifying Free Zone Person conditions — adequate substance, audited financial statements, transfer-pricing compliance and qualifying activities — pays 0% on its qualifying income, as long as non-qualifying revenue stays under the lower of 5% of revenue or AED 5 million. Everything else is taxed at 9% on profit above AED 375,000.

In practice, a media freelancer or agency invoicing UAE mainland clients will find much of that income isn't qualifying income. For most small SHAMS companies the realistic tools are the AED 375,000 zero band and Small Business Relief for revenue up to AED 3 million, which has been extended to tax periods ending by 31 December 2029. You can't claim Small Business Relief and QFZP status together. Our UAE corporate tax guide explains the trade-off.

VAT is separate. You must register once taxable supplies pass AED 375,000 in 12 months and may register voluntarily from AED 187,500. SHAMS's FAQ notes that the free zone itself charges 5% VAT on some of its own services, which is why its package prices are quoted VAT-inclusive. Use our UAE VAT calculator to price your invoices.

SHAMS vs SPC vs Ajman vs UAQ

Sharjah and the northern emirates compete hard on entry price, and agents' "from" prices rarely compare like with like. Here's how SHAMS stacks up against SPC Free Zone, its Sharjah neighbour, and two other low-cost zones, using each zone's own published figures and the date we read them.

Low-cost free zones compared on published figures (2026)

Zone	Published price (date read)	Visa included?	Activities on one licence
SHAMS (Sharjah Media City)	AED 5,375 Media / AED 6,500 Standard licence (9 Oct)	No — about AED 13,935 with one investor visa (Standard)	Up to 5 activities
SPC (Sharjah Publishing City)	AED 4,999–AED 6,875 licence by activity tier (8 Oct)	No — from AED 4,495 per visa plus set-up fees	Up to 5 activity groups
Ajman Free Zone	AED 5,555 no visa; AED 13,131 with 1 visa (7 Oct)	Starter package includes 1	Depends on package
UAQ FTZ	AED 12,500 UAQ Start with 1 visa (7 Oct)	Yes, with Emirates ID, medical and basic insurance	Up to up to 10 activities

SHAMS (Sharjah Media City)

Published price (date read)

AED 5,375 Media / AED 6,500 Standard licence (9 Oct)

Visa included?

No — about AED 13,935 with one investor visa (Standard)

Activities on one licence

Up to 5 activities

SPC (Sharjah Publishing City)

Published price (date read)

AED 4,999–AED 6,875 licence by activity tier (8 Oct)

Visa included?

No — from AED 4,495 per visa plus set-up fees

Activities on one licence

Up to 5 activity groups

Ajman Free Zone

Published price (date read)

AED 5,555 no visa; AED 13,131 with 1 visa (7 Oct)

Visa included?

Starter package includes 1

Activities on one licence

Depends on package

UAQ FTZ

Published price (date read)

AED 12,500 UAQ Start with 1 visa (7 Oct)

Visa included?

Yes, with Emirates ID, medical and basic insurance

Activities on one licence

Up to up to 10 activities

SHAMS vs SPC. These two are the closest rivals: both Sharjah government zones, both online, both priced in the same range. SHAMS is cheaper for genuine media businesses thanks to the Media package, and its LLC-without-FZ naming appeals to firms that want a neutral-looking trade name. SPC counts five activity groups rather than five activities, which is more generous for a mixed business, and its pricebook shows more line items. With one visa, the two came out within a few hundred dirhams of each other on their calculators. Our SPC Free Zone guide runs the same worked example.

SHAMS vs Ajman and UAQ. If you want the lowest-priced no-visa licence, Ajman Free Zone's entry package is cheaper. If you prefer one bundled price that already includes a visa, Emirates ID and medical, UAQ Free Trade Zone's Start package is simpler to budget. SHAMS's advantages are its media community and facilities, its brand recognition in the creative sector and its fast online process.

Renewals, compliance and common mistakes

You renew a SHAMS licence through the customer portal. SHAMS offers a "renewal with amendment" option, which lets you change your package, activities, company name, visa allocation, facility or shareholders at renewal instead of filing separate amendments. Keep your ultimate beneficial owner details up to date — SHAMS requires them at setup and expects them to be maintained — and file your corporate tax return within nine months of your financial year-end.

The mistakes we see most often:

• Choosing the Media package for a non-media business. If any activity isn't a media activity, you'll need the Standard package, so price that from the start.
• Forgetting one-off visa set-up costs. The immigration card and e-channel add AED 640 and AED 2,280 to your first visa.
• Leaving out medicals and insurance. Neither is in the calculator totals, and both are needed for residence.
• Advertising without a permit. Paid social media promotion needs an Advertiser Permit as well as the right licence activity.
• Assuming free zone means tax-free. Register for corporate tax on time and keep records, even if you expect a 0% result.
• Comparing headline prices. Compare written quotes with the same activities, visas, term and facility — and ask for the renewal price.

Official links

• SHAMS cost calculatorEstimate by package, term and visas
• SHAMS packagesMedia and Standard inclusions
• SHAMS FAQsVisas, renewals, documents
• u.ae — starting a business in a free zoneFederal overview
• Ministry of Finance — corporate taxRates and free zone regime
• FTA — VAT registrationThresholds and registration

What to do next

Decide whether every activity you need is a media activity, then run SHAMS's calculator for the right package, term and visa count, and ask for the same quote in writing from SPC or another zone. Our startup cost calculator helps you add insurance, medicals, banking and living costs to the licence figure, and the UAE corporate tax calculator shows what your profit may owe once you're trading.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice — confirm on the official source or with a professional.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a SHAMS Free Zone licence cost in 2026?

SHAMS's own cost calculator, read on 9 October 2026, uses AED 5,375 a year for the Media package and AED 6,500 for the Standard package. With the small fixed lines the calculator adds, a one-year licence with no visa totals AED 5,760 (Media) or AED 6,885 (Standard). SHAMS says these are estimates and that package prices include VAT.

How much is a visa in SHAMS Free Zone?

In the calculator, each visa carries a AED 1,600 allocation and AED 330 Emirates ID typing, plus AED 2,200 processing for an investor or AED 3,700 for an employee. Your first visa also triggers the AED 640 immigration card and AED 2,280 e-channel. Medical tests, change of status and health insurance are extra.

Is Sharjah Media City the same as SHAMS?

Yes. SHAMS is the short name for Sharjah Media City, a free zone set up in 2017 by Emiri decree of the Ruler of Sharjah for media and creative industries. Its business-setup arm, shamsfz.ae, now licenses general business activities too, through a Standard package that sits alongside the Media package.

How many visas can a SHAMS company get?

SHAMS says a licence can hold up to up to 50 visas, depending on your activity and office facility. If you want an allocation of more than 10 visas, you must submit a business plan and bank statements. Each visa still needs an available allocation, a valid e-channel and immigration card.

Is SHAMS a good free zone for freelancers?

It's popular with solo media and creative professionals because the Media package is the cheaper of the two and setup is fully online. You get a company licence (an LLC), a flexi desk and a lease, not a personal freelance permit. Compare the total with a one-visa bundle such as UAQ Start before deciding.

SHAMS or SPC — which is cheaper?

On each zone's own calculator, read in October 2026, a one-year licence with one investor visa came to about AED 13,935 at SHAMS (Standard) and AED 14,300 at SPC (standard tier), before insurance and medicals. SHAMS's Media package is cheaper still. SPC includes five activity groups; SHAMS includes up to five activities.

Do SHAMS companies pay corporate tax?

Yes, they're inside the UAE corporate tax system and must register with the FTA. A company that meets the Qualifying Free Zone Person conditions can pay 0% on qualifying income; other taxable income is taxed at 9% above AED 375,000. Most media freelancers selling to mainland clients will rely on the zero band or Small Business Relief instead.

Sources & verification

Figures on this page were checked against the sources below when it was last reviewed on 9 October 2026. Each rate and limit is stored once with its own official source and review date, and official update channels are monitored daily so changes are picked up. How we verify

1. 1.Business Setup Cost Calculator — SHAMS Free Zone · accessed 9 October 2026
2. 2.Packages — SHAMS Free Zone · accessed 9 October 2026
3. 3.FAQs — SHAMS Free Zone · accessed 9 October 2026
4. 4.SHAMS — Sharjah Media City — Sharjah Media City (SHAMS) · accessed 9 October 2026
5. 5.SPC Free Zone cost calculator — SPC Free Zone · accessed 9 October 2026
6. 6.Starting a business in a free zone — UAE Government portal (u.ae) · accessed 9 October 2026
7. 7.Corporate tax — Ministry of Finance — UAE Ministry of Finance · accessed 9 October 2026
8. 8.VAT registration — Federal Tax Authority · accessed 9 October 2026