SPC Free Zone (Sharjah Publishing City) began as a publishing free zone and now licenses a much wider range of activities. We check your activity against SPC's official list and prepare your application with you.
SPC Free Zone, short for Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone, describes itself as the world's first publishing free zone. Today its license categories go well beyond publishing, from general trading and e-commerce to IT, marketing and professional services.
SPC states that you can choose from 2,000+ business activities and add up to five activity groups to one license, with 100% foreign ownership. Workspace options include co-working, furnished or unfurnished offices and warehouses.
Some activities on SPC's list name an approval from another authority. We check yours first, so you know whether SPC fits before you pay anything.
Setup planner
Search your activity to see whether SPC Free Zone lists it and which approvals it names, then get a setup plan in 4 short steps. A consultant sends your quotation.
Companies that want a zone built around publishing and printing.
Businesses that need several activity groups on one Sharjah license.
Businesses that may need co-working space now and a warehouse later.
Clear boundaries, so you know exactly what you're paying for and who decides each step.
SPC Free Zone sets its own document list; we confirm it for your activity before you apply.
Government fees, paid at cost
Set by SPC Free Zone and paid at cost. Your consultant sends a written quotation with every fee before you pay.
Global Sky PRO service fee
Quoted in writing before we start, so you know the full cost up front.
Timing
Depends on your activity, any approvals and how quickly documents and attestations are ready. We give you a realistic plan once your activity is confirmed.
Each step shows who does what, so you always know where things stand.
Share what you will do, where your customers are, how many visas you need and what workspace suits you.
We confirm your exact activity is on SPC Free Zone's list, note any approval it needs and compare other zones if they fit better.
Your consultant sends a written quotation with every zone fee and our service fee. Send the documents on your checklist.
We type the application, check every document for consistency and submit the file to SPC Free Zone.
SPC Free Zone reviews the application, may ask for more information and decides whether to issue the license.
Once the license is issued, we guide you through the establishment card, residence visas and corporate tax registration.
Points from SPC Free Zone's website, checked on 4 November 2026. We confirm the details for your activity before you apply.
Headline offers rarely tell the whole story. We answer these for your activity before you decide.
If this zone doesn't fit your activity, visas or budget, one of these may. Each guide is checked against the zone's own website.
Swipe to see all 7 zones
Jumeirah Lakes Towers and Uptown Dubai, with sector communities from gold and coffee to crypto and gaming.
A Dubai free zone with its business park in Dubai Silicon Oasis.
A digital setup process, including a route for founders who live outside the UAE.
Sharjah Media City in Al Messaned, built for media, creative and digital businesses.
Next to Ajman Port, with offices, warehouses, land and on-site accommodation.
Ajman NuVentures Centre Free Zone, set up for remote company formation.
Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone, licensing free zone and non-free zone companies.
Logos and names are trademarks of their owners, shown only to identify each free zone. Facts are from each zone's own website, checked on 4 November 2026.
Short answers here. Your situation may differ, so ask us before you decide.
No. SPC began as a publishing free zone and describes itself as the world's first, but its license categories now include general trading, e-commerce, IT services, marketing, administrative and professional services. Some activities still name an approval from another authority, so we check your exact activity against SPC's official list first.
Source: SPC Free Zone: official website
SPC states that you can add up to five activity groups to one license, from a list of 2,000+ activities. We check that your activities can sit together on one license and whether any of them needs approval from another authority before SPC can issue it.
Source: SPC Free Zone: official website
SPC Free Zone is in Sharjah. Its workspace options include co-working space, furnished or unfurnished offices and warehouses for storage, packing and shipping. SPC states that every business license comes with a lease agreement, so the premises you choose are part of your application from the start.
Source: SPC Free Zone: official website
It depends on your activities, the license term, your workspace and how many visas you need. Rather than a headline price that may not fit your plans, your consultant sends a written quotation with every SPC fee and our service fee shown separately, so you can compare before you pay anything.
Send your details and we'll reply with the documents you need and every fee involved.
Send your enquiry
Takes a minute. We reply with the next steps and every fee involved.
Licenses are issued by the relevant authority (DET for Dubai mainland, or the chosen free zone authority). Global Sky PRO prepares and submits your application. Last reviewed 31 October 2026 by the Global Sky PRO team.