Sharjah Media City (Shams) company setup
Sharjah Media City (Shams) is a Sharjah free zone regulated by Sharjah Media City.
Sharjah · Free zone
Key facts
- From, no visaDetails on from, no visa
Not published
- Licence issued inDetails on licence issued in
Not published
- VisasDetails on visas
Not published
- PremisesDetails on premises
Flexi desk, Office
- RenewalDetails on renewal
Not published
- ActivitiesDetails on activities
Not catalogued
May suit your business
- Media freelancers and cost-efficient service licences in Sharjah
Check before choosing
Check activity restrictions, premises and visa requirements before applying.
Based on the zone’s published specialism. Confirm suitability for your activity.
Updated 4 Sep 2026 · 3 sources · 2 details still to confirm · Sources
Ask an assistant about this page: ChatGPT · Claude · Perplexity
Costs and packages
Prices are the authority's published figures. Confirm the current package before you budget.
No detailed public calculator result is available without lead submission.
Looked at startwith.shams.ae
Other published prices
- Media packageAED 5,750starting priceOfficial
- Standard packageAED 6,875starting priceOfficial
Setup steps and timing
Timing for each step. Requirements depend on your jurisdiction and visa route.
Company setup
Get your company licence before starting the residency process.
- Licence
To confirm
Residency · remote preparation
Prepare the immigration file and entry visa before travelling.
- Security approval
To confirm
- Establishment card
To confirm
- E-channel
To confirm
- Entry visa approval
To confirm
Residency · in the UAE
Attend medical and biometrics in person, followed by residence approval and Emirates ID.
- Medical test
To confirm
- Biometrics
To confirm
- Residence visa approval
To confirm
- Emirates ID printing
To confirm
- Emirates ID delivery
To confirm
Bank account
A separate application, subject to the bank’s requirements and approval.
- Bank account
To confirm
Timings are per step, not a total. Appointments and approvals may vary. Where only “days” is shown, the business or calendar-day basis is to confirm.
Required documents
Individual shareholder 4 documents
- Passport copy
- Residence visa copy when applicable
- Emirates ID copy when applicable
- Passport-size colour photograph
Licences and activities
Licence types
Explore business activities
We have not published an activity catalogue for Sharjah Media City (Shams), so we cannot say which licence lines it carries. Not yet verified against a public source.
Visa and office options
Facility options
Remote paperwork
Yes
Licence paperwork can usually be prepared before you travel.
Visa options
We have not recorded the visa categories for this jurisdiction.
Nationality-specific requirements
Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq
National ID copy for entry and residence applications.
Pakistan
National ID copy for an investor or partner visa.
RAKEZ guidance — confirm for your route
Afghanistan, Algeria, Bhutan, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Cuba, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, India, Iraq, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Pakistan, Senegal, Somalia, Syria, TongaFrom 16 June 2026
Albania, Bangladesh, Colombia, Cyprus, Fiji, Mauritius, Nigeria, Philippines, Sudan, Tunisia, ZimbabweFrom 15 August 2026
Belarus, China, Georgia, Iran, Mauritania, Nicaragua, Rwanda, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovenia, South AfricaFrom 15 November 2026
Attested police clearance for a new visa.
Reported — confirm before applying
Egypt, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Sri Lanka
UAE embassy visit within 45 days to complete entry approval.
RAKEZ guidance — confirm for your route
Ethiopia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka
Attested medical report for entry approval when applying from outside the UAE.
RAKEZ guidance — confirm for your route
Details and sources
Citizens of Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq must attach a copy of their home-country personal identification card to entry-permit and residence-permit applications.
ICP published
RAKEZ's investor/partner visa service card also requires a national identity card from citizens of Pakistan. The ICP service cards list only Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq; treat Pakistan as applied in practice but not confirmed on an ICP page.
Zone service card; federal page not found
From 16 June 2026, in three phases, applicants of 45 nationalities must submit a good-conduct (police clearance) certificate from their country of nationality, attested by the UAE embassy or consulate there with electronic MOFA attestation, for new investor, partner, employee and dependant visas. The rule was circulated by ICP to free-zone authorities; no ICP web publication has been located, so the list and dates are recorded from the circular as reported.
Reported ICP circular; not yet published by ICP
Applicants from Egypt, Nigeria, Indonesia, Sri Lanka or Kenya receive an approval instead of an entry permit and must visit a UAE embassy within 45 days to complete it. Published by RAKEZ; the underlying federal instruction has not been found on an ICP page.
Zone service card; federal page not found
Applicants outside the UAE from Ethiopia, Sri Lanka or Indonesia must provide an attested medical report with the entry-permit application. Published by RAKEZ; not found on an ICP page.
Zone service card; federal page not found
- RAKEZ's service card lists 25 good-conduct nationalities (including Kenya, Uganda, Sri Lanka, Zambia) while the reported 2026 ICP circular lists 45 across three phases (including India, Somalia, Gambia, China). Either the zone card predates the circular or applies an older internal list. Show the applicant both and ask the zone to confirm before an application.
Renewal costs
Renewal price
Not published
Marketing states a fixed lifetime renewal cost subject to terms, but no exact renewal total was found.
Term
No published renewal term was found.
Looked at shams.ae
Late renewal
No published late-renewal penalty was found.
Looked at shams.ae
Marketing states a fixed renewal cost for the lifetime of the company, subject to terms; no numeric total is published.
Practical considerations
- Popular low-cost media and freelance free zone in Sharjah
- Sharjah address — banking and perception differ from Dubai free zones
- Often compared with Ajman Media City on price for freelancers
- Dubai Setup Index does not currently offer this as a primary setup option
Alternatives
Sources
| Claim | Access | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| packages | Published page | Official | shams.ae |
| pricing | Lead-gated | Official | startwith.shams.ae |
| documents | Published file | Official | smcdocs.shams.ae checked 2026-09-04 |
Known gaps
No detailed public calculator result is available without lead submission.
quote · lead gated
Marketing states a fixed lifetime renewal cost subject to terms, but no exact renewal total was found.
renewal · incomplete
FAQ
Does Dubai Setup Index set up companies in Sharjah Media City (Shams)?
Not currently. We document this zone so you can compare it honestly, while Dubai Setup Index handles applications in IFZA and Ajman.
Is a free zone the same as mainland DET?
No. Free zones license under their own authority. A Dubai mainland company is licensed by DET and normally needs Ejari-registered premises.
We'll help you choose
Sharjah Media City (Shams) is documented here for comparison. Dubai Setup Index currently handles applications in IFZA and Ajman — tell us what you need and we will say plainly which option fits.