Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone Company Setup
- License cost from AED 5,750
- Residence visas for 2 years
- Company Formation from 7 days
- Bank account Guaranteed
About SPC Free Zone
The Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone (SPC), a leading commercial center dedicated to promoting innovation and expansion in the publishing and media sectors, is situated in the center of the Emirate of Sharjah.
One of the nation’s newest free zones, the SPC Free Zone was created in 2017, yet it has quickly become a top choice for businesses looking to take advantage of the growing demand for top-notch content in the area.
This is mainly because Sharjah is the 2019 World Book Capital and the UAE’s most famous educational and cultural hub. As a result, the Emirate frequently hosts significant international events.
For example, the Sharjah Book Authority, which is in charge of the SPC Free Zone, organizes the Sharjah International Book Fair, the primary publishing-related event in the Middle East. This offers companies both locally and globally unmatched networking and development opportunities.
The SPC Free Zone offers easy access to other emirates and essential markets throughout the Middle East, Africa, and Asia due to its advantageous location close to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road (E 311) and the international airports in Sharjah and Dubai.
The effective dissemination of both digital and printed products is made possible by this central position, which makes it the perfect starting point for companies aiming to increase their regional and international presence.
A growing community of entrepreneurs and businesses, including both domestic and foreign players, consider the SPC Free Zone home. It was created specifically to address the particular requirements of the publishing and media sectors.
In order to meet the needs of hosted enterprises and their operations, it offers a wide range of conveniences and modern, top-notch infrastructure that may be rented.
From start-ups to well-established industry giants, a wide variety of companies have been drawn to the zone by its business-friendly atmosphere and infrastructure tailored to the sector.
The SPC Free Zone offers the ideal setting for expanding your company and thriving globally because of its 100% foreign ownership allowed, low development fees, reduced corporation taxes, simplified company formation procedure, and more than 2,000 permitted business activities.
Is SPC suitable for your business?
— Yes If
- If publishing, printing, distribution, trading (including e-commerce), consulting, IT, or other professional services are part of your company’s operations. The SPC Free Zone, which is situated in Sharjah, offers companies in particular industries exceptional networking capabilities.
- The SPC Free Zone provides incredibly economical setup options if you’re searching for a low-cost business setup.
- The company formation process at SPC is simple and takes 7 working days if you want your company to be set up swiftly and efficiently.
- The SPC-free zone is well situated in Sharjah. It provides a range of cutting-edge facilities for lease if you would instead set up your company outside of Dubai in a free zone with excellent connectivity and first-rate infrastructure.
- SPC permits 100% foreign ownership if you are an expat.
- If your company needs a dual license to operate both in the free zone and on the Sharjah mainland.
— No If
- If you intend to carry out commercial operations focused on logistics or heavy industry and need facilities like land lots or industrial units, we advise applying to JAFZA or RAKEZ in this situation.
- If your nationality or that of your employees is deemed high-risk, the Emirate of Sharjah has no guarantee that the residency visa will be granted.
SPC Free Zone company formation process
In the Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone, the SPC Authority monitors the company setup procedure, which usually takes just seven working days. Within a day, business license and incorporation documentation are issued. Dubai-based business consultants are also capable of doing it.
Company registration procedure in SPC Free Zone
Step 1: Choose your business activities and license type.
Choose the appropriate license type based on the business operations of your future enterprise. This component is essential to a successful business establishment because selecting the incorrect license and activity might result in mistakes during company registration, which can cause issues when opening a bank account or getting residency visas for both you and your staff.
Step 2: Determine the legal entity of your business.
Describe the legal status of your business. Various company forms are available in the SPC Free Zone for starting a business, based on the desired number of shareholders and the kind of business being conducted:
- FZE (Free Zone Establishment): One shareholder, who may be an individual or a non-individual (business), can own an LLC.
- FZC (Free Zone Company): Multiple shareholders, including both persons and non-individuals (businesses), can form a free zone LLC.
- Branch: A branch within SPC that was established by a parent business and is fully owned by it, subject to its name and operations. Parent companies can be based in the United Arab Emirates or abroad.
Step 3: Prepare and file the required documentation.
Compile the required paperwork and send it in with the application. The following are among the documents required for a FZE to be registered in the SPC Free Zone:
- Passport copies of shareholders, managers, and directors
- Passport-size photos of shareholders
- Copies of visas and Emirates IDs of shareholders, managers, and directors
- Proof of address
- Memorandum and Articles of Association (MoA and AoA)
A different type of paperwork is needed to register a business branch in the SPC Free Zone:
- Passport copy and photo of the manager
- Proof of address
- Parent company’s verified MoA and AoA
- Parent company’s verified incorporation certificate
- Parent company’s verified business license
- Parent company’s verified Board resolution and Power of Attorney
Paying all registration and processing costs is another requirement for this phase.
Step 4: Collect the license and registration documents.
Gather the company’s license and registration paperwork, such as:
- Certificate of Incorporation
- Business License
- MoA and AoA
- Lease agreement
Business licenses and other paperwork related to company incorporation are issued in the SPC Free Zone in a single day.
Step 5: Secure your Establishment Card.
Get the Establishment Card with your company’s details and visa quotes. Usually, the establishment card is given out on the third day of the setup procedure.
Step 6: Apply for an entry permit.
Apply for a permit of entrance. If you are not in the UAE when the entry permit is being processed, you will have to return within 60 days of the document’s issue to finish the biometrics and medical examination required for your visa.
The status of your prior UAE tourist or resident visa will be changed to the new one if you are in the country when the entry permit is granted.
Step 7: Take a medical test and submit visa documents.
Get a medical examination and submit the necessary paperwork for an Emirates ID and residency visa. Various registration packages, including a zero-visa package, may offer a range of visas for the company’s owners and employees.
Step 8: Collect your Emirates ID.
Get your Emirates ID card as soon as your visa is approved.
Step 9: Open a bank account.
To open a corporate bank account, submit an application to a UAE bank. You can begin operating your business as soon as you get your account details.
Don't miss out on this limited-time opportunity!
We'd Love To Hear From You
contact us
Find us Here
Office No 20, 4th Floor, Al Moosa Tower 2,
Sheikh Zayed Road Dubai, United Arab Emirates P.O. Box 27614.
Get In touch
+971 4 824 4842
info@jsbincorporation.com
Send Your Inquiry
SPC Free Zone license costs
The Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone is now one of the most cost-effective options for setting up a business in the United Arab Emirates. It offers many benefits, including very low company creation and facility lease expenses.
At the SPC Free Zone, business licenses start at AED 5,750, and there are many affordable setup packages available for different kinds of businesses with different visa quotas.
SPC’s 1-year licenses and packages:
| ITEM AND DESCRIPTION | COST, AED |
|---|---|
|
0-visa Publishing Co-Working License Package |
5,750 |
|
0-visa Coworking License Package |
9,000 |
|
1-visa Unfurnished Office Space Package |
9,250 + 980 per sq. m. |
|
1-visa Furnished Office Space Package |
9,250 + 1,100 per sq. m. |
|
0-visa Open/Shell & Core Package |
5,750 + 400 per sq. m. |
|
0-visa Warehouse/Storage Package |
5,750 + 480 per sq. m. |
Additional expenses may or may not be included in specific setup packages, including:
- SPC visa fees
- SPC rent costs
- SPC Establishment Card
- E-channel registration fee
- Medical checkup
- Emirates ID
SPC Free Zone licenses and business activities
More than 2,000 business activities in a wide range of activity categories are included on the Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone’s activity list:
- Publishing
- Printing
- Design
- Distribution
- General Trading
- E-commerce
- IT services
- Media
- Consultancy
- And others
Furthermore, SPC permits the use of a single license for multiple activities. For companies of all sizes, the SPC Free Zone offers four different kinds of licenses. The list of business licenses that SPC supports, along with descriptions of each, is shown in the table below.
| SPC LICENSE TYPE | LICENSE DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
|
Commercial/Import-Export license |
These licenses enable companies to distribute and sell goods in addition to importing and exporting them. |
|
Services license |
They enable companies to offer expert services, including media, IT, publishing, printing, design, and consulting. |
|
General Trading license |
For businesses engaged in the distribution, storage, delivery, and import/export of goods. |
|
E-Commerce/Trading license |
Businesses can buy and sell goods and services online with the help of e-commerce licenses. |
Additionally, companies can operate in the UAE mainland without creating a distinct legal company because of the dual license provided by the SPC Free Zone. It allows the SPC Free Zone to serve as the local sponsor, which is necessary for mainland activities, and it combines the business licenses from the free zone and the mainland.
SPC Free Zone facilities
The SPC Free Zone’s well-established, top-notch infrastructure, which offers a wide range of commercial premises for renting and amenities for comfortable daily operations, is what makes it unique.
The SPC Free Zone offers the following facilities:
| TYPE OF FACILITY | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
|
Co-working spaces |
Collaborative shared workstations, which have a company address connected to the free zone, are an easy and affordable way to start up a business. |
|
Furnished and unfurnished offices |
A range of premium office spaces, from professionally built and equipped to unfurnished, in various sizes to suit all business requirements.
|
|
Shell & Core offices
|
Flexible office solutions that can be tailored to a business’s unique requirements.
|
|
Warehouses and storage units |
Exceptional multipurpose warehouses in various sizes and shapes are available for storage and other purposes. |
As the name implies, Sharjah Publishing City provides a wide range of facilities and services that a publishing house or other similar business could need for their daily operations. Retail stores, meeting rooms, printing facilities, in-house immigration services, restaurants, and more are available in the SPC Free zone in addition to office and storage space.
The Carrefour Mall is also nearby. SPC is situated in Sharjah, the UAE’s hub of education, just a 10-minute drive from Sharjah International Airport and a 15-minute drive from Dubai International Airport.
SPC Free Zone residence visas
Naturally, resident visa eligibility is permitted in the SPC Free Zone. A zero-visa option is one of the possible visa quotas, which also depends on the sort of business you run and the location you select.
The processing and issuing of entrance permits, visas, and Emirates IDs, along with the necessary medical checks, are completed in a matter of days because the SPC Free Zone has its own integrated immigration facilities and services.
The SPC Free Zone has some of the lowest immigration fees in the United Arab Emirates, much like the other company’s establishment expenses.
SPC Free Zone visa costs (AED):
| ITEM | SPC FEE, AED |
|---|---|
|
Visa and Emirates ID |
2,530 |
|
Change of status |
700 |
|
Establishment Card |
640 |
All visas are valid for 2 years.
SPC Free Zone company license renewal
A company renewing in the SPC Free Zone takes a year from the date of registration. Renewing the office lease and license is part of the process. You must pay the following in order to complete the company renewal:
- License fees
- Establishment Card costs
- Office (facility) fees
These payments amount to the following:
| Fee | Cost, AED |
|---|---|
|
0-visa SPC Free Zone license renewal (minimal cost, does not include other associated fees like lease, etc) |
5,750 |
The fee that you pay during registration usually covers the cost of renewing your license.
In order to renew your company license, get in touch with your business setup expert, who will draft an application to the free zone authorities along with the necessary paperwork, sign the updated lease, pay the renewal fees, and watch for the license to be renewed.
SPC Free Zone company amendments and regulations
Any time after the business license is granted, you can make as many corporate adjustments as you need in the Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone. The following adjustments are among the most often requested amendments:
- Change of activity
- Change of trade name
- Shares transfer
- Change of manager
SPC Free Zone company liquidation
You will be required to pay the liquidation cost and return the original paperwork if you choose to close your business in the SPC Free Zone. The following steps make up the liquidation process:
Provide the required documentation listed below, including:
- A certified board resolution explaining the rationale behind the company’s liquidation and signed by the shareholders
- Documentation for deregistration
- The business license and all other documents related to the incorporation of the company
- Letter of closure and clearance for bank accounts
Make additional payments and pay cancellation fees. The liquidation process begins after this is finished.
Additionally, all residency visas and other immigration-related documentation issued by the business must be canceled.
You will be informed when the liquidation is finished and given the relevant paperwork.
Conclusion
Establishing your company with JSB Incorporation in the Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone (SPC Free Zone) is a strategic decision that combines convenience, cost-effectiveness, and unmatched business advantages.
With SPC Free Zone’s reputation as a globally recognized hub for publishing and media activities, businesses can benefit from a dynamic ecosystem that promotes growth and innovation.
So, what are you waiting for? Book a consultation call today with our experts and embark on the journey of business setup in Dubai, UAE.
FAQs
The setup typically takes 1–2 business days, depending on document submission and approval.
A passport copy, visa copy (if applicable), and passport-sized photo are usually needed.
Yes, the SPC Free Zone allows full foreign ownership without the need for a local sponsor.
Benefits include 100% tax exemption, full repatriation of profits, and easy company setup.
Yes, you can apply for UAE residency visas for yourself and your employees after company setup.
Don't miss out on this limited-time opportunity!
We'd Love To Hear From You
contact us
Find us Here
Office No 20, 4th Floor, Al Moosa Tower 2,
Sheikh Zayed Road Dubai, United Arab Emirates P.O. Box 27614.
Get In touch
+971 4 824 4842
info@jsbincorporation.com