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SPC Free Zone, the Sharjah Publishing City free zone, publishes its fees line by line, which most Sharjah zones do not. The cheapest licence is E-Publishing at AED 4,999, limited to online publishing. Most people start on the Publishing and E-commerce licence at AED 5,750 a year with no visa, or AED 13,165 with one investor visa. It suits online sellers, consultants and small traders who want to set up fully online.
How much does an SPC license cost?
| Licence | First year | With 1 investor visa | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-Publishing | AED 4,999 | Not published | Up to 4 online publishing activities, up to 5 shareholders, lease, MoA, share certificate, certificate of formation |
| Publishing / E-commerce | AED 5,750 | AED 13,165 | Up to 5 activities, co-working lease, 1 year, 0 visas in the base price |
| Standard | from AED 6,875 | AED 14,290 | Trading, consulting and commercial activities |
Source: SPC licence page, e-commerce package page and the E-Publishing announcement on spcfz.ae, checked .
E-Publishing allows up to 6 visa quotas, each paid on top. On the Publishing / E-commerce and Standard licences, the visa price shown is for one investor visa only.
Two things on the SPC site do not match. An older post still names a "Publishing licence package from AED 6,875" and an "Entrepreneur package" with four plans and no prices. And the code behind the cost calculator page shows AED 6,875 as the offer price, while the text on that page says "from AED 5,750". Go by the current tier names in the table, and check the tier on your quote.
Every SPC fee line, one by one
The pay as you go page lists the parts of a visa. Add them up and you get exactly the gap between the Publishing / E-commerce licence alone and the one visa package. So you can see what you pay for.
| Fee | Amount | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Visa allocation | AED 1,600 | Per visa |
| Establishment card | AED 640 | Once for the company (a blog post says it covers 2 years) |
| E-channel registration | AED 2,280 | Once for the company |
| Investor visa with Emirates ID | AED 2,530 | Per investor |
| Medical test | AED 365 | Per person |
| Change of status | AED 700 | Only if you are already in the UAE |
| Employment visa processing | AED 4,065 | Per employee |
| Dependent visa | AED 5,000 | Per family member |
| Name reservation | AED 500 | Once |
Source: SPC pay as you go page and cost calculator, checked .
Health insurance is not in any package. SPC says it starts at AED 450 a month. Extra shareholders cost AED 1,000 each beyond the 7 included, up to 100. An activity group beyond the first 5 costs AED 2,200.
How do visas work in SPC?
SPC sets no visa cap on its flexi desk. The FAQ and the e-commerce page both say "unlimited", while the cost calculator only goes up to 200. Either way, the quota is not tied to office size as it is in older zones like SAIF Zone.
The licence is instant. Residency timing depends on which SPC page you read: 3 working days on the home page, 5 in a blog post, 5 to 10 in the FAQ. Plan on the longest figure. Our guide to free zone visa cost compares the per visa fees with other zones.
Freelancers and e-commerce sellers
There is no freelance permit on the SPC pages we read. A freelancer here opens a one shareholder FZE-LLC on the Publishing / E-commerce licence and takes one investor visa. You own the company, and the company sponsors your residency.
For online sellers, the Publishing / E-commerce tier is the one built for you. If you plan to sell to UAE customers from stock held here, read best free zone for e-commerce first, as free zone rules on local selling differ.
What office options does SPC offer?
A flexi desk comes with each licence. If you need more, SPC publishes rates per square metre:
- Unfurnished office from AED 750 per sqm
- Furnished office from AED 900 per sqm
- Shell and core from AED 550 per sqm
- Retail, storage and warehouse from AED 480 per sqm
SPC also offers a dual licence with the Sharjah mainland, for companies that want to trade onshore.
What does SPC license renewal cost?
The licence page gives renewal prices: AED 5,750 for Publishing / E-commerce and from AED 6,875 for Standard. Visa costs at renewal are not shown as one package.
Paying for several years earns a discount, but the licence page and the calculator differ for three years:
| Term | Licence page | Cost calculator |
|---|---|---|
| 2 years | 10% | 10% |
| 3 years | 13% | 15% |
| 5 years | not listed | 17% |
| 10 years | 20% | 20% |
Ask SPC which three year rate applies before you pay. See free zone licence renewal for how this compares.
Which licence types and company forms does SPC offer?
SPC registers three company types: an FZE-LLC with one shareholder, an FZC-LLC with two or more, and a branch. It advertises "Zero Paid Share Capital". It lists more than 2,000 activities, and one licence holds any 5 activity groups. SPC is a subsidiary of the Sharjah Book Authority, created by Royal Decree in , and says it hosts more than 20,000 companies.
How do you set up a company in SPC?
- Choose your tier and up to 5 activity groups.
- Reserve the company name.
- Upload passport copies, plus your UAE visa and Emirates ID if you live here.
- Pay online. The licence is issued at once.
- Register the e-channel and get the establishment card.
- Complete the entry permit or change of status, medical and Emirates ID.
SPC says the whole process runs online and puts full setup at 2 to 5 days.
What documents does SPC ask for?
- Passport copy for each shareholder
- UAE visa copy and Emirates ID if resident
- For a company shareholder: MoA and AoA, certificate of incorporation and parent company papers
- Your chosen name, activities and facility
How do SPC companies open a bank account?
SPC offers banking help for AED 2,000. It takes about 3 working days, and you must attend the bank meeting in person. The partner banks it names include Mashreq, Emirates NBD, RAKBANK, Emirates Islamic, CBD, CBI, Wio and FAB.
Where is the SPC Free Zone business activity list?
The zone publishes its own business activity list. Check your exact activity there before you pick a package, because the activity decides the licence type and sometimes the price.
Pros and cons of SPC Free Zone
Pros:
- Licence and visa fees published line by line
- One visa package price printed for two tiers
- No visa cap on the flexi desk
- Zero paid share capital
- Fully online setup, non-residents welcome
Cons:
- E-Publishing limited to online publishing
- Visa timing differs between SPC's own pages
- Three year discount shown two ways
- Health insurance extra on every visa
Read Shams vs SPC for a direct comparison with the other low cost Sharjah zone, and the Sharjah free zones hub for all seven. Shams has its own price page too.
Get an SPC quote
The form on this page goes to UAEFreeZoneDirectory.com, a directory that works on its own and is not part of the Sharjah Book Authority. We hand your details to SPC or a licensed setup partner, who prices your exact mix of activities, shareholders and visas.
Setup consultants that work with SPC
Setup consultants that list SPC among their zones include PAPERLESS Business Solutions, Creative Zone and Start Any Business | Company Formation in Dubai, UAE, the three highest ranked by weighted Google score. PAPERLESS Business Solutions is based in Deira. Ask each for a quote with government fees and service fees on separate lines, then compare it with the price above. More firms are in the directory of Dubai setup consultants.
Sources
- https://www.spcfz.ae/blogs/sharjah-free-zone-license : Publishing / E-commerce and Standard prices, one visa packages, renewal, name reservation, multi-year discounts, setup time
- https://spcfz.ae/ecommerce-package : e-commerce tier and visa quota
- https://www.spcfz.ae/blogs/spc-free-zone-announces-a-new-business-license-to-support-online-publishing/ : E-Publishing licence, older package names
- https://www.spcfz.ae/pay-as-you-go/ : visa, establishment card, e-channel, change of status fees, office rates
- https://www.spcfz.ae/cost-calculator/ : employment and dependent visas, shareholders, extra activities, calculator discounts
- https://www.spcfz.ae/faqs/ : visa quota, residency timing, remote setup, banking
- https://www.spcfz.ae/blogs/why-spc-free-zone/ : authority, founding, company count, insurance, partner banks, dual licence
- https://www.spcfz.ae/business-setup-in-sharjah/ : company types and documents
- https://www.spcfz.ae/business-activities/: portal, activity list or contact page, checked
