SPC Free Zone: Company Setup, Costs and Requirements
SPC Free Zone is Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone. It began as a publishing zone in 2017. Its own page says the activity list is no longer limited to publishing. The pay-as-you-go licence starts at AED 5,750 with no visa. Visas and facilities are extra.
The pay-as-you-go licence
The current pay-as-you-go page prices a one-year licence with zero visas from AED 5,750. It includes up to five activities from 2,000+ options, and up to 100 shareholders. SPC says the other items can be paid later without an amendment fee. Legal forms on the same page are a free zone establishment (FZE), a free zone company (FZC-LLC), or a branch.
SPC’s page says investor, partner and employee visas can be added at formation or later, and it describes that allocation as unlimited. That is SPC’s published position. Each person still depends on immigration approval. The allocation, establishment card and e-channel registration on the price list are separate charges.
This may fit if
- You want the company first and the visa file later.
- Five activities and a large shareholder register are enough.
- A flexi-desk or a later office in Sharjah matches how the business will operate.
Check carefully if
- You need warehousing. SPC publishes storage and warehouse rates by the square metre, on top of the licence.
- The activity needs a permit SPC’s FAQ says some businesses still need. The zone does not claim every activity is open.
- You read a bank-account line as an approval. The page prices banking assistance. It does not decide the account.
- You are comparing this with SAIF Zone, Hamriyah or Shams. Those are different Sharjah licensors.
Published prices
All figures are from SPC’s pay-as-you-go page, read on 1 October 2026. The AED 5,750 line is the zero-visa licence. It is not a year-one total once a visa is added. VAT is not stated. A licence renewal figure is not set out on that page, so renewal should be confirmed from a current quotation. SPC says document handling with its advisor can take 45 minutes. That is SPC’s timing for that step, not a completed visa.
Licence. SPC price as published.
1 year, 0 visas
From AED 5,750. Up to five activities and 100 shareholders.
Pay-as-you-go items. Separate from the licence.
Visa allocation
AED 1,600.
Establishment card
AED 640.
E-channel registration
AED 2,280.
Investor visa with Emirates ID
AED 2,530.
Change of status
AED 700.
Medical test
AED 365.
Banking assistance
AED 2,000. Assistance only.
Company stamp
AED 250.
Facilities, priced from a rate per square metre. Not included in AED 5,750.
Unfurnished office
From AED 750 per sqm.
Furnished office
From AED 900 per sqm.
Retail, storage or warehouse
From AED 480 per sqm.
Shell and core
From AED 550 per sqm.
Setup order on the SPC page
- Choose the activity.
- Choose FZE, FZC-LLC, or a branch.
- Decide how many visas, including zero.
- Submit the application with passport copies, and Emirates IDs and visas where the shareholders or managers already have them.
If the business is in Dubai rather than Sharjah, start with Meydan or IFZA. Non-resident ownership is covered on company setup for non-residents.