SHAMS, the Sharjah Media City free zone, is one of the cheapest and most creative-friendly ways for a UK designer, filmmaker, writer, or agency to own a UAE company. A zero-visa licence starts from around AED 5,750, a one-visa package from roughly AED 13,000, and you can hold up to five activities on a single licence. It carries a freelance permit route, media and creative activity classifications, and studios on site, with 100 percent ownership and 0 percent tax on qualifying income. The trade-off is a Sharjah address rather than a Dubai one.
Key highlights
- A zero-visa SHAMS licence starts from around AED 5,750, and a one-visa package from roughly AED 13,000 to 14,000.
- You can combine up to five activities on one licence, across service, trading, media, industrial, and holding families.
- SHAMS has a freelance permit route, which suits solo UK creatives who want residency without a full company.
- Entry packages are digital-first with no physical office requirement, and the licence issues in a few working days.
- It offers 100 percent foreign ownership, 0 percent tax on qualifying income, and a residence visa valid for two years.
- The registered address is in Sharjah, which some banks and clients weigh differently from a Dubai address.
A UK motion designer wants a UAE base to invoice Gulf clients, sponsor her own residence visa, and keep the setup cheap. SHAMS fits that brief better than almost any Dubai zone. It was built for media and creative work, it prices low, and it lets a solo freelancer or a small studio get licensed and get a visa without a Dubai-level bill.
This guide covers how to set up a SHAMS free zone company as a UK creative or freelancer, what it costs, and the trade-offs to weigh. It is general information rather than advice.
What SHAMS is
SHAMS is the Sharjah Media City free zone, launched in 2017 by the Sharjah government. It was built around media and creative business, though its licence families now stretch wider, and it has become one of the most popular low-cost zones in the UAE.
The pitch for a creative is specific. SHAMS classifies media and creative activities cleanly, which a general trading zone often does not, so a content creator, production house, or design agency fits its licence without awkward activity mapping. Our overview of the UAE free zones sets this zone against the others if you want the wider picture first.
It is a practical zone rather than a prestige one, aimed at founders who value cost and flexibility over a marquee address.
Why SHAMS suits UK creatives and freelancers
Three things make SHAMS a natural home for creative work from the UK.
Low cost and flexible packages
SHAMS prices near the bottom of the credible UAE range. A zero-visa licence starts around AED 5,750, which suits a freelancer who does not need UAE residence yet, and a one-visa package runs roughly AED 13,000 to 14,000. Instalment options, including monthly plans, are available, so the first-year outlay can be spread.
Built for media and creative activity
The zone’s media licence covers content creation, film and video production, photography, publishing, marketing, design, and events. A UK creative gets a licence that matches what they actually do, and can combine up to five activities on one licence, which covers founders who both produce and consult.
A freelance permit route
SHAMS runs a freelance permit for solo professionals, which is lighter than a full company and a popular route for individual UK creatives who mainly want residency and the right to invoice. When the plan is a solo setup with a residence visa, our visa and residency support in the UAE handles the permit and the visa together.
Cost, the honest picture
Treat every figure here as indicative, because SHAMS quotes through a calculator rather than a fixed public tariff, and prices move by package and year.
The numbers
A rough shape of the figures:
- Zero-visa licence: from around AED 5,750.
- One-visa package: roughly AED 13,000 to 14,000, covering the licence, a visa quota, e-channel, and establishment card.
- Establishment card and e-channel: around AED 2,000 to 2,500 as a one-time cost.
- Per-visa government costs: roughly AED 3,000 to 5,500 each, including medical, Emirates ID, and insurance.
What drives the price
The licence itself is the small part. Visas are what move the total, because each one carries its own medical, Emirates ID, and processing costs. A solo freelancer on one visa sits near the bottom of the range, while a studio putting several people on visas climbs with each one. Pricing the setup around your real visa count, rather than the headline licence fee, gives you the honest number. Our team can model that through the Dubai and UAE business setup service so there are no surprises.
Licence types and activities
SHAMS is broader than its media name suggests. It issues across five licence families:
- Service, for consultancy, agencies, and professional work.
- Trading, for buying and selling goods.
- Media, the creative core, from production to publishing.
- Industrial, for light production with a facility.
- Holding, for owning shares or assets.
You can combine up to five activities on a single licence, even across families, which suits a creative who consults, produces, and sells digital products under one roof. The SHAMS company also carries no “FZ” suffix on its name, which many founders prefer.
How to set up, step by step
The process is quick and largely remote, which matters for a UK founder setting up before relocating.
- Choose the licence and activities. Pick the family and up to five activities that match your work.
- Reserve the company name. Submit a compliant trade name for approval.
- Submit the application and documents. Provide passport copies and the application through the SHAMS portal.
- Receive the licence. SHAMS advertises issuance in under an hour, and in practice it is usually two to three working days.
- Apply for the establishment card and visa. Complete the entry permit, medical, and Emirates ID, which need a short visit to the UAE.
- Open the bank account. Set up the corporate account once the licence and visa are in place.
Because bank onboarding is often the slow step, our corporate banking support in the UAE lines the account up alongside the licence.
Visas, office, and facilities
SHAMS ties visa quota to your package and workspace rather than selling visas freely. Entry packages are digital-first, so there is no physical office requirement, and a residence visa runs for two years. The licence can carry up to 50 visas as you grow, with higher counts needing an office upgrade.
For creatives, the facilities are a genuine draw. SHAMS offers coworking space, meeting rooms, podcast and recording studios, filming locations, and workshops, priced separately above the licence. A UK filmmaker or podcaster can licence and produce in the same place.
Tax and compliance
SHAMS does not change the corporate tax position. As a free zone company, a SHAMS entity can reach 0 percent corporate tax on qualifying income as a Qualifying Free Zone Person, with 9 percent on income that does not qualify. It still registers for corporate tax on EmaraTax and files a return, even at 0 percent. When the registration and filing need handling, our corporate tax registration service runs it through EmaraTax for UK-owned companies.
The UK angle
Two points matter for a creative staying in Britain. You can own and set up the SHAMS company from the UK without relocating, and much of the process runs remotely, with only a short visit for the visa medical and Emirates ID. What ownership does not settle is your UK tax. If the company is run from the UK, HMRC can treat it as UK tax resident under the central management and control test, and while you remain UK resident, money you draw is reportable in the UK. The structuring side of that is where our legal advisory team in the UAE keeps the UK and UAE positions aligned.
How SHAMS compares to other low-cost zones
SHAMS is not the only cheap UAE option, and the right one depends on your work:
- Against RAKEZ and Ajman, SHAMS wins on media and creative classification and its studio facilities, while the other two edge it on raw price and industrial space.
- Against IFZA and Meydan in Dubai, SHAMS is cheaper and more creative-focused, though it carries a Sharjah address rather than a Dubai one.
- For a holding or offshore structure rather than active creative work, neither SHAMS nor a Sharjah address is the point, and a different vehicle fits better.
For a creative or freelancer, the media fit usually matters more than a few thousand dirhams of difference. Knowing how to set up a SHAMS free zone company is only half the decision, and confirming it beats the alternatives for your activity is the other half. Our guide to the best UAE free zone by industry sets the zones side by side so the choice is clear before you file.
SHAMS at a glance
| Item | Position |
|---|---|
| Zero-visa licence | From around AED 5,750 |
| One-visa package | Roughly AED 13,000–14,000 |
| Activities | Up to 5 on one licence, across 5 families |
| Freelance permit | Available for solo professionals |
| Ownership | 100% foreign ownership |
| Office | Digital-first; no physical office required |
| Visas | Up to 50, valid for 2 years |
| Corporate tax | 0% on qualifying income; 9% otherwise, subject to applicable UAE tax rules |
| Address | Sharjah |
Figures are indicative for 2026 and may vary by package and year. Confirm the current quotation in writing before filing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I set up a SHAMS free zone company?
Choose a licence family and up to five activities, reserve a trade name, submit the application with passport copies through the SHAMS portal, and receive the licence in a few working days. You then complete the establishment card, visa, medical, and Emirates ID, which need a short visit to the UAE, and open a bank account.
How much does a SHAMS licence cost?
A zero-visa licence starts from around AED 5,750, and a one-visa package from roughly AED 13,000 to 14,000, covering the licence, a visa quota, e-channel, and establishment card. Each visa adds its own government costs. Prices are quoted through a calculator, so confirm the current figure before filing.
Does SHAMS have a freelance option?
Yes. SHAMS runs a freelance permit for solo professionals, which is lighter and cheaper than a full company. It suits individual UK creatives who mainly want UAE residency and the right to invoice clients, without setting up a larger company structure.
Is SHAMS good for media and creative businesses?
It is one of the better-suited zones. SHAMS was built around media, so it classifies content creation, production, design, marketing, publishing, and events cleanly, and it offers studios and filming facilities on site. A general trading zone often struggles to classify creative activities as neatly.
Can a UK creative set up SHAMS remotely?
Largely, yes. You can own and apply for the company from the UK, and much of the process is digital. A short visit to the UAE is needed for the visa medical and Emirates ID biometrics once the licence is issued.
Does a SHAMS company pay corporate tax?
It can reach 0 percent on qualifying income as a Qualifying Free Zone Person, with 9 percent on non-qualifying income. Every SHAMS company still registers for corporate tax on EmaraTax and files a return, even at 0 percent, and the 0 percent rate depends on real substance in the UAE.
Your next step
For a UK creative, SHAMS answers the three questions that matter most: can I afford it, does it fit my work, and can I get a visa. The answers are yes, yes, and yes, with a Sharjah address as the trade-off. Price the setup around your visa count, pick the activities that match your work, and the rest is quick.
Gatestone Group works with UK creatives and freelancers from offices in London and Dubai, and our team runs a free consultation that prices your SHAMS setup and sorts the licence, visa, and banking before you commit.
Gatestone Group is a business setup and company formation consultancy working with entrepreneurs, investors, and growing companies across Dubai, the wider UAE, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom. This article was prepared and reviewed by the firm’s advisory team using current guidance from the relevant authorities. Last updated 12 October 2026.
This article provides general information about SHAMS free zone setup for UK creatives and freelancers, as of 2026. Free zone packages, fees, visa quotas, and activity lists vary by package and circumstances, and they change without notice, so every figure here is indicative and should be confirmed in writing before filing. Gatestone Group provides business setup and corporate services. We are not a law firm, a registered tax agent, an audit firm, or a licensed financial adviser, and nothing here is legal, tax, or financial advice. The details referenced are based on publicly available information from the relevant authorities, including Sharjah Media City (SHAMS) and the Federal Tax Authority. Rules and prices change, so always verify the current position with the authorities and Gatestone Group before acting. For personalised support with a SHAMS setup, contact Gatestone Group to arrange a consultation.