Sharjah · Sharjah Media City Free Zone Authority (SHAMS) · all zones
SHAMS
A creative and media hub offering cost-effective business setup with 100% foreign ownership, targeting entrepreneurs, startups, SMEs, and freelancers. shams.ae
remote setup
official price list
tier 1
since January 2017
LLCBranch
Licence-only total
total not yet confirmed
the one total model is not live, so each proven price is shown on its own
One-visa total
total not yet confirmed
the one total model is not live, so each proven price is shown on its own
Minimum share capital
not yet confirmed
paid-up rule not stated
Typical days to licence
not yet confirmed
unproven or unpublished
Packages, as published
Official rows come from the authority's own list. A row marked agent comes from a reseller because the authority does not publish that package, and it can contain a margin.
| Package | Licence | Visas | Workspace | Setup | Renewal | Kind | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Media Package (zero visa)License fee amount not yet confirmed + Economic Register Fee amount not yet confirmed = amount not yet confirmed setup; renewal license fee amount not yet confirmed (price locked for life, per official price list) | Media | n/a | flexi desk | not yet confirmed | not yet confirmed | official | img1.wsimg.com |
| Standard Package (zero visa)License fee amount not yet confirmed + Economic Register Fee amount not yet confirmed = amount not yet confirmed setup; renewal license fee amount not yet confirmed (price locked for life) | Standard | n/a | flexi desk | not yet confirmed | not yet confirmed | official | img1.wsimg.com |
| Freelance Package (1 visa)All-inclusive one visa freelance package as advertised on startwith.shams.ae; renewal cost not published | Media | n/a | flexi desk | not yet confirmed | not yet confirmed | official | startwith.shams.ae |
| 1 Investor Visa PromotionPromotional all-inclusive package for business license and 1 investor visa (includes eChannel, immigration card, medical, biometric, change of status) | Media | n/a | flexi desk | not yet confirmed | not yet confirmed | official | startwithshams.com |
Promotions the authority advertises
- 1 Investor Visa all-inclusive package for amount not yet confirmed (startwithshams.com)
- Freelance Package one visa all-inclusive amount not yet confirmed (startwith.shams.ae)
- Multi-year discount: 2% for 2 years, 3% for 3 years, 5% for 5 years, 10% for 10 years on license and visa allocation fees (official price list)
Fees, line by line
The figures our sum is built from. Only a proven fee is shown; the rest read not yet confirmed, and a reseller-only figure says so on its line.
Registrationnot yet confirmedstartwith.shams.ae
Licencenot yet confirmedstartwith.shams.ae
Establishment cardnot yet confirmedstartwith.shams.ae
Immigration cardnot yet confirmedstartwith.shams.ae
Residence visa, per personnot yet confirmedstartwith.shams.ae
Medical and Emirates ID, per personnot yet confirmedstartwith.shams.ae
Minimum share capitalnot yet confirmedstartwith.shams.ae
Economic Register Feenot yet confirmedimg1.wsimg.com
E-Channel Registration (one-time, first visa)not yet confirmedimg1.wsimg.com
Visa Allocation (per visa, per year)not yet confirmedimg1.wsimg.com
Investor Visa Processing (new, 2 years)not yet confirmedimg1.wsimg.com
Employee Visa Processing (new, 2 years)not yet confirmedimg1.wsimg.com
Medical Test (Normal, Al Taj)not yet confirmedimg1.wsimg.com
Emirates ID Application Typingnot yet confirmedimg1.wsimg.com
Change of Status (if applicable)not yet confirmedimg1.wsimg.com
License Cancellationnot yet confirmedimg1.wsimg.com
Visa Cancellationnot yet confirmedimg1.wsimg.com
License Amendment (mid-year)not yet confirmedimg1.wsimg.com
Late Renewal Penalty (14th month)not yet confirmedimg1.wsimg.com
Late Renewal Penalty (each additional month)not yet confirmedimg1.wsimg.com
What a missing number means
The line stays visible and reads not yet confirmed. A figure the research records but the verification pass has not proven is never shown, and never becomes a zero.
Company and licence types
Company types
- Limited Liability Company
1 to 50 - Branch of Existing Company
N/A (parent company)
Licence types
- Service License
Services and consultancy activities - Trading License
Wholesale & retail trading - Trader Package
E-commerce and general trading - Venture Studio License
Wide range of business activities
How the authority processes it
Each step names who holds it. Days are the authority's published figure or a gap.
- step 1 · days gapSubmit online application and upload required documentsApplicant
- step 2 · days gapAuthority review and issuance of licenseAuthority
The authority's portal
NameShams Portalhttps://portal.shams.ae/frontend/login/
Who filespublic
Fully onlineYes
E-signaturenot stated
API or integrationNot specified
Partner programmenot stated
Selling to the UAE mainland
Allowed with additional permits and import/export code from any UAE port. shams.ae shams.ae
Corporate tax
Not specified in provided sources.
Documents the authority asks for
Individual shareholder
- Passport copies
- Client On-Boarding Form
- Authorized Signatory Form
- Declaration of Legal and Regulatory Compliance
- Business Plan (if required)
- KYC verification (online or physical appearance)
Corporate shareholder
- Passport copies of authorized signatory
- Client On-Boarding Form
- Authorized Signatory Form
- Declaration of Legal and Regulatory Compliance
- Business Plan (if required)
- Ultimate Beneficial Owner Form
- KYC verification
After the licence
Financial year, audit, corporate tax, VAT, UBO and renewal, as the authority states them.
Financial year
Audit and financial statements
Audited accounts requiredYessource
Who mustauditor approved by the Authority taxadvisors.aesource
Submission deadlinenot yet confirmedsource
Approved auditor listNosource
Fee or penalty (AED)not yet confirmedsource
NotesArticle 62.3 of the 2024 Regulations requires accounts examined and reported on by an auditor approved by Shams. No filing deadline is published; confirm submission timing with Shams. Auditor appointment/removal must be notified within 15 business days (Article 16.1(e)) taxadvisors.ae.source
VAT
Mandatory threshold (AED)not yet confirmedsource
Voluntary threshold (AED)not yet confirmedsource
Designated zonenot yet confirmedsource
NotesSHAMS is not on the published VAT designated zone list; service businesses charge 5% VAT. Quarterly filing, due 28 days after period end. Late filing penalty amount not yet confirmed first offence, amount not yet confirmed repeated. Late payment penalties: 2% day one, 4% after 7 days, 1% per day max 300% einvoicedirect.ae inchub.ae.source
Corporate tax
Registration deadlinenot yet confirmedsource
QFZP conditionsFive conditions: free zone registration, adequate substance, qualifying income, de minimis compliance (non-qualifying income ≤5% of total revenue or amount not yet confirmed, whichever lower), and no election into the standard regime (Article 18, Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022) inchub.ae.source
Return deadline9 months after financial year end (e.g., 30 September for 31 December year end) taxadvisors.ae9 months after financial year end (e.g., 30 September for 31 December year end) [taxadvisors.ae](https://taxadvisors.ae/audit/shams-audit-requirement/)source
Late registration penalty (AED)not yet confirmedsource
UBO, ESR and AML
Licence renewal
Banking
Accounting records
Annual obligations
Audited accounts submissionAnnualNo statutory deadline; likely required with licence renewalsource
VAT return filingAnnualQuarterly, within 28 days of period endsource
Corporate tax return filingAnnualAnnually, within 9 months of financial year endsource
Licence renewalAnnualAnnually before expirysource
Closing the company
How we file it
Internal view of the authority's channels and screens. It is what a filing integration has to work against, not a promise that the filing is live. integration source
Application channels
Online Portalhttps://portal.shams.ae/frontend/login/who can use: Individuals and corporate shareholders; assistance available from Guide Team upon requestlogin: Client portal login (registration required)All submissions are made directly by the client through the portal. Guide Team can assist with submission process (guide@shams.ae).source
Agent or partner programme
Existsnot stated
Namenot named
Feesnot yet confirmed
Commission or discountnot stated
How to applynot stated
Contactnot stated
Requirementsnot stated
Screens inside the portal
- step 1ConsultationShams Business Development Team and clientinputs: Business activities, Visa plan, Specific needs
- step 2SubmissionClient (via portal)uploads: Passport copy, EID or Visa (if applicable), Corporate documents (if corporate shareholder: Certificate of incorporation, Memorandum of association, Certificate of incumbency/Good Standing, Share Register, Board Resolution, Company Ownership Structure graph), Client On-Boarding Form, Authorized Signatory Form, Declaration of Legal and Regulatory Compliance, Business Plan (if required), Ultimate Beneficial Owner Form (if corporate), Pre-approval Forms (if applicable)
- step 3KYC & Application ApprovalClient (via dashboard, prompted by email)inputs: KYC verification (online or physical appearance), Application approval
- step 4License ProcessingShams Applicant Support Team
- step 5Company Documents IssuanceShams (documents sent to client email)
Formats, signatures, payment
Document formatsNot specified; likely PDF, JPEG, PNG for scanned documents.
Signatures and identityKYC verification via online or physical appearance. Documents require signatures (Authorized Signatory Form, Declaration of Legal and Regulatory Compliance). Electronic submission via portal; specific e-signature method not detailed.
PaymentCredit card (all major) accepted; 100% upfront payment required; no installments. Official price list at https://www.shams.ae/company-formation/price-list/ (content not provided).
Status trackingEmail notifications at each step; portal dashboard may show application status (implied by 'dashboard' and agent mention of online tracking).
API or bulk filingnot stated
After the licence, onlineVisa application and processing (via portal); Immigration Card and E-Channel registration; Emirates ID application; Banking assistance (concierge service)
Automation risks
- KYC verification may require manual review
- Application approval may involve human checks
- Document validation may not be fully automated
- Reliance on email notifications for status updates
- Portal may have anti-bot measures (not confirmed)
Open integration gaps
- Official fee schedule not available in provided sources (price list page not included)
- Document file format specifications not mentioned
- E-signature technology details not provided
- No information on API or bulk submission capabilities
- No official agent/partner program found in sources
- Exact portal dashboard tracking features not described officially
What we still do not know about SHAMS
The research names its own holes. They stay on the page until a source fills them.
Prices
- Renewal cost for visa-inclusive packages (Freelance, 1 Investor Visa Promotion) not published
- Whether share capital of amount not yet confirmed must be paid up is not specified in sources
- Exact VAT treatment: official price list does not mention VAT; calculator totals (5,760/6,885) are slightly higher than license fee + 10, possibly including VAT or other small fees
- Economic Register Fee (amount not yet confirmed) recurrence not specified (assumed one-time in setup)
- Medical test fee (365) is paid directly to medical centre and may vary
- Health insurance cost is mandatory but not quantified
- Dependent visa deposit amount not published
Structure and process
- Typical processing days not specified (only 'within days')
- Corporate tax qualifying free zone person status not mentioned
- Mixing rules for multiple activities on standard licenses not specified
- Bank account opening process not described
- Agent/partner program details not provided
- E-signature and payment methods not specified
- Physical visit requirements for visa stamping or other steps not mentioned
- Who it does not suit not explicitly stated
Compliance
- No official audit fee or penalty found
- Corporate tax registration deadline not specified
- UBO register, ESR, and AML/GoAML requirements not covered in sources
- Banking information (common banks, account opening, minimum balance, pain points) not available
- Visa and labour details not provided
- Designated zone status for VAT is unknown (not on published list)
- Licence renewal late penalty not found
- Deregistration cost not found
Sources
Everything above was read from these pages. The read date is on each line.
SHAMSPRICE LIST 2025https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/5e812f41-cfd2-43e0-bb59-3c3d8841e921/Shams%20Price%20List%202025-98e3c55.pdfread 2026-10-20
Form Your UAE Company with the Right License | Shams Free Zonehttps://shamsfz.ae/company-formation/read 2026-10-20
Start small Dream Big with Shams - Shams Free Zonehttps://startwith.shams.ae/start-with-shams/read 2026-10-20
Start your business with shams, Sharjah Media Cityhttps://startwithshams.com/start-your-business-with-shams/read 2026-10-20
Sharjah Media City Free Zone Authority Companies and Licensing Regulations 2017https://www.shams.ae/hubfs/Regulations%2020250429/Regulations/Shams%20Companies%20and%20Licensing%20Regulations%202017.pdfread 2026-10-20