Register a company in Shams

Yes. Shams says the whole setup runs online and that non-residents can form a company, so the licence itself needs no trip. On the 0-visa package that is the end of onboarding. A residence visa is different: the medical test and biometrics happen in the UAE, so plan a stay for those steps.

Our registration work starts from $2,900; with a UAE bank account set up, from $5,400. Zone fees come on top: Shams publishes no price list, so we quote its fees for your case. Visa allocations cost AED 1,600 each and are renewed with the licence, and multi-year licences cut licence and visa allocation fees by 2% to 10%. Shams's terms do not accept cancellation once you have paid, so we fix the package before you pay.

Only on qualifying income, and only while the conditions hold, among them adequate substance, transfer pricing compliance, audited financial statements and non-qualifying revenue within 5% of total revenue or AED 5,000,000, whichever is lower. Media and consulting are not qualifying activities, so income from clients outside the free zones stays at 0% only while it fits inside that limit. Breach it and the status is lost for that tax period and the next four, leaving the standard 0% up to AED 375,000 and 9% above. We check which route fits before you pick activities.

Shams's published timeline gives 1-2 working days for the licence. With visas, the e-channel and immigration card take 3-5 working days, the visa application 4-5, the medical test 1-2 and the residency visa with biometrics 3-4, so about 11-16 working days more. The Emirates ID usually follows within 7-10 working days. The FTA processes a complete corporate tax registration in 20 business days, and the bank keeps its own clock.

We prepare the application and stay with it, but the bank decides. Shams gives registered companies a list of recommended banking partners. Our Company + Bank Account package adds a bank shortlist for your profile and a KYC file covering source of funds, contracts and a business plan, and we support you at the bank meeting, in person or by video where the bank allows. The dirham is pegged to the US dollar at AED 3.6725.

Up to 50 per licence, depending on your activity and office space, and the Authority sets headcount at its discretion. Above 10 visas Shams asks for a business plan and bank statements, above 20 for an annual audited financial report, and some nationalities may need pre-approval. Each allocation costs AED 1,600, is renewed with the licence and is not itself a visa. Staff are sponsored through the Authority, and the company pays every employment cost.

Not directly. Federal guidance says a free zone company works on the mainland through a licensed mainland distributor or its own mainland branch or company, and Shams publishes no mainland permit or dual licence. For a Qualifying Free Zone Person, income of a mainland branch is taxed at 9%. Goods moved into the mainland also become subject to customs duty.

The zone's 2017 Regulations ask for accounting records and let the company appoint an auditor by resolution. They and Shams's terms state no duty to file audited accounts with the Authority, except for visa allocations above 20, and we check the 2024 text for your year. Corporate tax is stricter: a Qualifying Free Zone Person must prepare audited financial statements, as must a company with revenue above AED 50,000,000. Under the 2017 text the first financial year may run up to 18 months.

A 30-day grace period runs from expiry. After it, Shams charges AED 200 a month until the licence is renewed or cancelled, sends a legal notice at six months, then suspends the licence at seven for a further AED 1,000 and cancels the immigration card and visas where they exist. All penalties are settled before renewal or cancellation. A company that had visas waits a year after cancellation before it can reopen.

A clear, complete passport copy with your specimen signature, plus an Emirates ID if you live in the UAE. Shams asks for no NOC. A corporate owner with 25% or more adds its certificate of incorporation, memorandum, certificate of incumbency or good standing, a board resolution and an ownership chart, each issued within the last 90 days. The UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention, and Shams publishes no legalisation rule but sells MOFA attestation as an option, so we confirm what your papers need before you order anything.