Compare SPC Free Zone and Hamriyah Free Zone on Year 1 cost, renewal cost, visa options, banking difficulty, activity fit and best use case for UAE free zone company setup in 2026.
Quick verdict
Choose SPC Free Zone for a lower, verified cost with transparent renewal pricing — AED 13,165 Year 1 vs Hamriyah’s indicative AED 15,000–25,000. Both are suitable for service and trading activities. SPC Free Zone wins on price transparency and confirmed renewal data; Hamriyah may offer advantages for Sharjah-based industrial activities, larger visa quotas or specific manufacturing activities.
Cost comparison: SPC Free Zone vs Hamriyah Free Zone 2026
| Factor | SPC Free Zone | Hamriyah Free Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 cost | AED 13,165 (1-visa all-in; official + 2-source, 2026) | Indicative AED 15,000–25,000 (licence AED 8,000–15,000 + 1 visa AED 4,500 all-in; 3 independent sources, 2026) |
| Renewal cost | AED 11,720 (1+2-source estimate, 2026) | Indicative AED 12,000–18,000 (licence renewal + visa renewal; no explicit public renewal figure confirmed) |
| 3-year total | AED 36,605 (3-year estimate) | Estimated AED 39,000–61,000 (Year 1 + 2× indicative renewal range); confirm directly with Hamriyah |
| Visa options | 0–3 visas | 1–6 visas (depending on package and facility type) |
| Banking difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Price confidence | Official + 2-source | Indicative (3 independent consultant sources; Hamriyah does not publish a public price schedule) |
Decision factors: SPC Free Zone vs Hamriyah Free Zone
| Choose SPC Free Zone if | You want the lowest verified Year 1 cost with a published renewal schedule. Your activity is publishing, consulting, services or e-commerce. Price certainty matters more than Hamriyah’s industrial advantages. |
|---|---|
| Choose Hamriyah Free Zone if | Your activity has an industrial or manufacturing component that benefits from Hamriyah’s Sharjah location and free zone infrastructure. You need a larger visa quota or a specific activity that Hamriyah licenses and SPC does not. |
| Banking note | Both SPC Free Zone and Hamriyah Free Zone are Sharjah-based and carry medium banking difficulty for most activities. Neither has the bank recognition advantage of Dubai-based zones like IFZA or DMCC. Banking preparation — website, invoices, contracts — is recommended for both. |
| Office / workspace | Confirm flexi-desk or workspace allocation with each zone — office type affects visa quota, banking readiness and ongoing renewal cost. |
| Hidden costs — both zones | Establishment card, medical exam, Emirates ID, health insurance, amendment and cancellation fees apply to all UAE free zone setups. Verify all government-fee components before payment. |
| Documents required | Passport, passport-size photo, shareholder details, activity description. Bank-readiness documents: website, business plan, client contracts or invoices, source-of-funds statement. |
Source notes
SPC Free Zone publishes a transparent fee schedule with Pay-As-You-Go licensing. Both a Publishing tier (AED 5,750) and Standard tier (AED 6,875) are available. Renewal of AED 11,720 is confirmed from 2 independent sources. Hamriyah Free Zone does not publish a public pricing schedule — all pricing requires direct inquiry. Year 1 range reflects activity-specific licence fees across different package types. UFZC treats every price and visa count on this page as a planning input until a current written quote confirms it.
Best alternatives to SPC Free Zone and Hamriyah Free Zone
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FAQs — SPC Free Zone vs Hamriyah Free Zone
| Is Hamriyah Free Zone cheaper than SPC Free Zone? | No — SPC Free Zone’s verified 1-visa cost of AED 13,165 is lower than Hamriyah’s indicative range of AED 15,000–25,000. However, Hamriyah does not publish public pricing, so a direct quote may reveal a competitive figure for specific activities. |
|---|---|
| Can I set up a trading company in both SPC and Hamriyah? | Yes, both allow trading licences. SPC Free Zone’s Standard tier covers general trading and e-commerce. Hamriyah Free Zone covers trading, services and light industrial activities. The choice depends on your specific activity list and visa requirements — verify with each zone directly. |
| Does Hamriyah Free Zone allow flexi-desk? | Hamriyah Free Zone offers a flexi-desk or virtual office option for eligible activity types. However, unlike SPC Free Zone, the exact flexi-desk cost is not published and requires direct inquiry. |
| Which free zone is better for a Sharjah-based business — SPC or Hamriyah? | Both are Sharjah free zones. SPC Free Zone offers better price transparency and a lower confirmed Year 1 cost, making it the safer starting point for service and digital businesses. Hamriyah is stronger for activities with an industrial, trading or warehousing component. |
Internal links
SPC Free Zone profile | Hamriyah Free Zone profile | Cost calculator | Methodology | Hidden costs | Banking checker | Renewal cost index | SPC vs SAIF Zone | SPC vs IFZA | Hamriyah vs RAKEZ | IFZA vs Hamriyah | SPC vs RAKEZ
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Written by: UAE Freezone Compare Editorial Team
Reviewed by: UAE Business Setup Research Team
Last reviewed: August 2026
Prices and fit notes are reviewed using public authority information, available package pages, fee schedules, partner quotations and manual research. Pricing can change based on activity, visa count, office requirement, shareholder structure and authority approval.