Sharjah Free Zone Licence Renewal
Sharjah has four distinct free zones and they do not renew the same way. Searching for "Sharjah free zone renewal" returns a blur because SAIF Zone, Hamriyah, Shams and SPC each set their own fees, facility rules and portals.
Work out which zone you are in first
This sounds obvious and is the most common reason people find contradictory information. Your licence names the issuing authority; renewal instructions from a different Sharjah zone will not match.
| Zone | Typical profile | Renewal character |
|---|---|---|
| SAIF Zone | Airport-adjacent, trading and light industrial | Facility-led; warehouse or office drives cost |
| Hamriyah Free Zone | Port, heavy industrial, plots and warehousing | Facility-led; lease renewal can involve compliance items |
| Shams | Media and creative, low-cost desk packages | Licence-led; sharpest year-one to renewal jump |
| SPC Free Zone | SME and general business, publishing roots | Licence-led; promotional entry pricing |
Indicative positioning, not quotes. See Sharjah free zones for current licence bands per zone.
Renewal against your first year
The same rule applies across all four: roughly 70% to 100% of the original licence fee, because one-off registration and incorporation items drop away while the licence and facility recur. The lower-cost media and SME zones, Shams and SPC, tend to show the sharpest first-year-to-renewal jump, since their entry pricing is the most promotional. The industrial zones, SAIF and Hamriyah, are more stable year to year but start higher and carry real premises costs rather than desk packages.
The sequence
- Renewal notice and invoice from your zone, typically 30 to 60 days before expiry
- Renew the facility — warehouse or plot for SAIF and Hamriyah, desk or office package for Shams and SPC
- Clear outstanding invoices and portal holds
- Pay; licence reissued electronically
- Establishment card renews alongside in most cases
- Visa renewals proceed afterwards, each on its own cycle
For SAIF and Hamriyah the facility step carries more weight, because an industrial lease renewal can involve inspection or compliance items that a desk package never touches. Start earlier if you hold a warehouse or plot.
Visa cancellation in a Sharjah zone
Free zone employees are not on MOHRE labour cards, so cancellation runs through the zone and then immigration rather than through MOHRE. The order is the part that matters:
- Settle the employment relationship and final dues with the employee
- The zone cancels the work permit it issued and updates its employment record
- Apply through immigration to cancel the residence visa; the Emirates ID is surrendered
- The employee's grace period runs from the cancellation date
The licence and establishment card must be valid for any of this to go through, which is why companies winding down must renew before they can cancel. See labour card vs work permit and cancelling your own visa.
Late renewal and closure
- Late fees escalate by month and are set per zone, so a figure from one Sharjah zone will not match another
- Portal suspension blocks visa and document transactions
- Industrial zones may add facility-related charges where a lease runs on unrenewed
- Security deposits are applied against arrears before any refund at closure
Not continuing? Cancel formally rather than lapsing — see cancelling a UAE trade licence for the order that cannot be rearranged.
Sharjah Free Zone Renewal — FAQs
How much does Sharjah free zone licence renewal cost?
It depends which of the four zones issued your licence, because SAIF Zone, Hamriyah, Shams and SPC each set their own fees. Across all of them renewal generally lands at roughly 70% to 100% of the original licence fee, since one-off registration items drop away while the licence and facility recur. The low-cost zones show the sharpest jump because their entry pricing is the most promotional.
Which free zones are in Sharjah?
Four main ones: SAIF Zone, which is airport-adjacent and suited to trading and light industry; Hamriyah Free Zone, which is port-based with plots and warehousing for heavier industry; Shams, a low-cost media and creative zone; and SPC Free Zone, aimed at SMEs and general business. They renew differently, which is why generic Sharjah renewal guidance tends to contradict itself.
Is Hamriyah renewal different from Shams renewal?
Yes, materially. Hamriyah is facility-led, so a plot or warehouse lease renewal can involve inspection or compliance items and should be started earlier. Shams is licence-led with desk packages, so renewal is largely an invoice and a portal payment. The headline licence fee difference is smaller than the difference in what the facility step involves.
How does visa cancellation work in a Sharjah free zone?
Free zone employees are not on MOHRE labour cards, so the zone cancels the work permit it issued and updates its own employment record, then the residence visa is cancelled through immigration and the Emirates ID surrendered. The licence and establishment card must be valid for any of it to go through, which is why companies winding down have to renew before they can cancel.
What happens if I renew a Sharjah free zone licence late?
Late fees escalate by month and are set per zone, so a figure quoted for one Sharjah zone will not apply to another. Portal access is suspended, which blocks visa and document transactions, and industrial zones may add facility-related charges where a lease runs on unrenewed. Security deposits are applied against arrears before any refund at closure.
Should I renew or move to a cheaper zone?
Renewal is the cheapest moment to reconsider, since you are not writing off paid licence period. But moving means incorporating afresh and cancelling the old entity, so you pay setup costs again and re-issue visas. It is worth it for structural reasons, such as a visa quota your facility cannot support or an activity approval the zone does not hold, rather than for a modest fee saving.
Related
General information, not legal advice. SAIF Zone, Hamriyah, Shams and SPC each set their own renewal fees, facility charges and penalties. Confirm with your own zone authority.
Last updated: October 2026 · Maintained by the My Business Setup editorial team
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