Company Formation 
SPC Free Zone, short for Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone, is a Sharjah government free zone and a subsidiary of the Sharjah Book Authority. It gives 100% foreign ownership, more than 2,000 activities, unlimited visa packages and UAE residency in about 5 working days, at one of the lower licence costs in the country.
What is SPC Free Zone?
SPC Free Zone was established in 2017 under the patronage of the Ruler of Sharjah, as the first free zone focused on the print and publishing industry alongside general entrepreneurship. It is operated as a subsidiary of the Sharjah Book Authority, which is what makes it a government free zone rather than a private operator. Despite the publishing heritage, its licence list now spans more than 2,000 activities across trading, services, e-commerce and media, so most small and medium businesses fit inside it. It sits in Sharjah, a short drive from Dubai, which is how it keeps costs below the Dubai free zone average while still giving a recognised UAE licence.
How much does an SPC Free Zone licence cost?
SPC publishes packages from AED 5,750 as of September 2026, payable in up to twelve instalments, with government fees itemised separately on top. That from-price is among the lowest UAE licence entry points, which is the main reason cost-led founders and freelancers choose it. The real all-in figure depends on your activity, the number of visas you need and whether you take a flexi-desk, so the headline number is a starting point rather than a final quote. We confirm the current package against the authority and give you a fixed, itemised total before you commit, so nothing is added at renewal that you did not plan for.
How many visas and how fast is setup?
SPC offers unlimited visa packages, so the licence is not capped at a fixed headcount the way some zones are, and UAE residency is issued in about 5 working days once the file is ready. The licence itself is issued quickly after the documents and activities are approved. In practice the timeline is set by how cleanly the paperwork is prepared, which is the part we handle: the passport documents, the activity selection, and any approval a specific activity needs before the licence is granted.
Who is SPC Free Zone best for?
SPC suits freelancers, e-commerce sellers and small trading or services companies that want a genuine UAE licence at the lowest sensible cost, with the flexibility of unlimited visas as the team grows. Like any free zone it gives full foreign ownership and trades internationally freely; to sell directly into the UAE mainland it uses a distributor or a mainland branch, the same as a Dubai free zone. If a Dubai address specifically matters to you or your clients, IFZA is the Dubai alternative, and our SPC vs IFZA comparison sets the two side by side.
How Layerz sets up your SPC company
We match the SPC package to what you actually sell, reserve the name and activities, file the application, and take the licence through to the visas, the Emirates ID and the corporate bank account. Banking is the step most free zone owners find hardest, so we prepare the file and introduce you to the bank whose profile fits. You can read the full detail on our SPC Free Zone page, or start a free zone company setup enquiry and we will quote your exact package.
Frequently asked questions
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What is SPC Free Zone?
Sharjah Publishing City free zone, a lower-cost UAE jurisdiction with 100 percent foreign ownership. It licenses more than 2,000 activities across publishing, media, trading, services and consultancy, with residency issued in about 5 working days. -
How much does an SPC Free Zone licence cost?
SPC sits at the value end of UAE licensing, usually below a Dubai free zone for an equivalent package. The exact figure depends on the activity count, the visa quota and whether you take a flexi-desk or an office, so we quote a fixed all-in price. -
How many visas does SPC allow and how fast is setup?
SPC offers unlimited visa packages scaled to the facility you take, and residency is typically issued in about 5 working days once the file is complete. Setup is handled remotely, so you do not need to be in the UAE to start.