Sharjah Airport International Free Zone

Sharjah is the third largest city after Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the U.A.E. Sharjah is bordered by the cities of Dubai and Ajman and is about 170 kms away from the capital city Abu Dhabi. It is to promote free trade & industry that the Sharjah Airport International Free Zone was set up in 1995 and today is the center piece of the Sharjah governments' committment to free trade.

The Sharjah Airport International Free Zone's one-stop one door policy helps any entrepreneur or business owner set up operations in the SAIF-Zone quickly and easily. Apart from this, investors can enjoy 100% foreign company ownership, 100% repatriation of capital & profits, 100% exemptions from corporate, personal income tax, import & export taxes and duties, 100% exemption from all commercial levies & 25 year lease renewable for a similar period.

Strategically located next to Sharjah International Airport (also the Air Cargo hub of Lufthansa) at the cross roads of major trade routes linking the east & west, SAIF-Zone is a business hub that offers access to more than two billion consumers across the GCC, CIS, Indian sub-continent, Africa & The Mediterranean. Today SAIF-Zone is spread out over an area of 11 million square meters of industrial and commercial land and has currenetly more than 7,000 companies representing 149 countries.

Location:

Sharjah Airport International Free Zone, Near Sharjah Airport, Sharjah, (U.A.E.)

Proposed activity:

Manufacturing/Trading/Service activities can be carried out

License available:

Industrial/Commercial trading/General trading & Service license can be obtained

Types of entities:

FZE (single shareholder), FZC (2-5 shareholders) & Branch office

Shareholder:

Can be Individuals or Corporate entity

Director:

Individuals only (Minimum one. Shareholder can also be Director)

Share capital:

AED 150,000/- in case of FZE/FZC & AED Nil/- in case of Branch office (Required to be deposited in bank before or after incorporation).

Do note that shares are deemed to be issued on incorporation of the company irrespective of whether share capital is deposited in bank pre or post incorporation.

Audit:

Annual audit report to be filed by FZE & FZC. Not required for Branch office.

Estimated time:

3-5 working days for incorporation & setting up company.

Another 10-15 working days for immigration card subject to security clearance & thereafter Visa may take approximately 7-10 working days on normal basis.

Doc's required:

Shareholder: Individual

• Letter of authorisation
• Application form to be duly filled & signed
• Project summary (For industrial activities & warehouse facility)
• Passport copies with visa page of owners/manager
• Tourist/visit visa copy of owners/manager
• Entry stamp page for owners/manager
• Immigration detail with name in arabic & UID number for owners/manager
• NOC for owners/manager if holding UAE visa
• 1 passport size photo with white background for owners/ manager

Shareholder: Corporate

• Letter of authorisation
• Application form to be duly filled & signed
• Project summary (For industrial activities & warehouse facility)
• Passport copy with visa page of manager
• Tourist/visit visa copy of manager
• Entry stamp page for manager
• Immigration detail with name in arabic & UID nubmer for manager
• NOC for manager if holding UAE visa
• 1 passport size photo with white background for manager
• Following docs' of corporate entity to be attested with UAE Consulate in country of corporate entity & MOFA in UAE: COI/MOA/AOA/POA/Board resolution

Note: All shareholders (or authorized attorney in case shareholder is a corporate entity) are required to personally visit and sign in presence of licensing authority before incorporation of the company. Alternatively they can issue a POA duly attested by UAE consulate in their country of residence & thereafter attested by UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (which may cost approx. AED 2,500/- per POA).

Other notes:

a. Document legalisation cost (in case of corporate shareholders) with UAE Ministry is not included in above cost.

b. Shareholder or directors wishing to have UAE residency visa on said company will need to revisit after issuance of license, immigration card and visa for stamping of visa on the passport and may need to stay in UAE from 5 to 7 working days as that process may take time.

c. Additional visa may be granted in Executive Desk option, subject to approval on case to case basis, & by payment of additional fees.

d. Company may also acquire more than one license under same company which is subject to approval & payment of additional license fees.

e. In case if immgration card is rejected due to security reason, company can claim for refund. Application to be submited within 3 months from the date of incorporation and liquidation procedures to be followed.

f. Post box renewal is required to be done on 31st December every year.

g. Company Immigration card to be renewed every 3 years.

h. Investers to have family status UAE visa should have share capital of AED 75,000/- and in order to be eligible for Owner/Investor/Partner visa sholud have share capital of AED 60,000/-.