Hamriyah Free Zone Setup: Real Costs & License Types
Hamriyah is a port-linked industrial zone in Sharjah built around warehouses, industrial land plots, and a 14-metre deepwater port. License packages start from AED 8,800; the standard commercial package with one visa entitlement starts from AED 11,000. What you actually spend in year one depends on the facility you need, the visas you require, and the government processing fees that rarely appear in the first quote you receive.
What Does Business Setup in Hamriyah Free Zone Actually Cost?
A flexi-desk trading setup starts from AED 25,625 in year 1 for a solo founder with one investor visa. This includes the AED 5,000 refundable e-channel security deposit; the true non-refundable outlay is approximately AED 20,625 before health insurance. The “license from AED 8,800” figure some providers advertise covers the annual fee only, with no facility cost, no establishment card, no e-channel registration, and no immigration sequence. Here is the full breakdown across the two main scenarios.
Cost
| Item | Scenario A: Flexi-Desk, 1 Visa |
|---|---|
| Licence and Registration | |
| Annual Licence Fee Commercial and service from AED 11,000; industrial from AED 8,000 to AED 15,000 | 11,000 |
| Registration Bundled into annual licence package | Included |
| P.O. Box (Annual) | 1,000 |
| Facility | |
| Flexi-Desk / Virtual Office Supports up to 7 visas; included in standard commercial package | Included |
| Utilities (SEWA, Metered) Electricity AED 0.30 to 0.40 per kWh (SEWA slab tariff, 2026); water billed per consumption | Per consumption |
| Immigration | |
| Investor Visa, All-In (First Visa) Entry permit + medical + Emirates ID + stamping + establishment card AED 2,000 + e-channel AED 2,200 + AED 5,000 refundable deposit | 9,125 (incl. AED 5,000 refundable) |
| Health Insurance per Visa Holder (Mandatory) | From 1,500 |
| Our Service | |
| Setup and PRO Support, Year 1 Bank intro, FTA registration, UBO filing included | 4,500 |
| Year-One Total Incl. AED 5,000 refundable deposit; non-refundable outlay AED 20,625. Excludes health insurance. Arithmetic: AED 11,000 + 1,000 + 9,125 + 4,500 = AED 25,625. | ~AED 25,625 |
Figures in AED. Scenario A total includes the AED 5,000 refundable e-channel security deposit; true non-refundable outlay is AED 20,625. Health insurance is mandatory and billed separately from AED 1,500 per year. Electricity corrected to AED 0.30 to 0.40/kWh (SEWA 2026 slab tariff). Annual renewal costs 20 to 30% lower than year-1 totals. Audit report required from year two onward.
Trading, Industrial, or Branch: Pick the License Type That Fits Your Operation.
The right choice is not about price first. It is about what your operation physically does inside the zone. HFZA’s Hamriyah Business Centre (HBC) offers flexi-desk and virtual office packages from AED 11,000 for service and trading companies. Warehouse and industrial setups follow a different cost structure. The three routes below each carry a different facility requirement and a different visa ceiling.
Step 1
- Import, export, re-export, or professional services
- Flexi-desk or virtual office at HFZA’s Hamriyah Business Centre
- Up to 7 visas on a flexi-desk, one of the most generous in the UAE
- 0% QFZP corporate tax on qualifying income
- No warehouse required for service or consulting activities
- Manufacture, process, or assemble goods inside the zone
- Pre-built warehouse from 200 sqm or industrial land plot
- Visa quota up to 50 on a warehouse facility
- 0% QFZP corporate tax on qualifying export income
- MoIAT pre-approval required for food, chemicals, and pharma
- No separate share capital required
- Operates under parent company financial structure
- Common for multinationals setting up a Gulf production subsidiary
- Cost depends on parent company structure, facility requirement, and attestation chain
- Attested parent company documents required; adds 2 to 4 weeks for non-GCC
- Parent company audited financials for last 2 years mandatory
Calculate Your Hamriyah Setup Cost.
Adjust the inputs below to see a realistic year-1 estimate. The output is the full itemised figure, not a license-only headline.
Step 2
Your Hamriyah Setup, Itemised
An estimate from current published rates, not a quote. Government fees change.
The widget is a live estimate. Final quote confirmed after a 30-minute scoping call where we verify facility size, activity codes, visa headcount, and any MoIAT pre-approval requirements for your specific business type.
What We Handle, and What You Handle.
Most “all-inclusive” HFZA quotes quietly exclude the establishment card, the e-channel registration, and the first-year tax filings. Here is the honest split.
What’s included
✓ We Handle
- Activity verification against HFZA permitted activity list before application
- Trade name reservation and HFZA portal submission with full document set
- Facility selection, lease negotiation support, and deposit documentation
- Establishment card and immigration file setup
- E-channel registration and visa entry permit coordination
- Bank introduction (RAKBANK, Emirates NBD, Mashreq, FAB)
- UBO filing and corporate tax and VAT registration with FTA
- Year-1 PRO support, renewal reminders, and compliance calendar
● You Handle
- Passport copies, photos, and current visa or entry stamp documents
- Corporate documents with attestation for non-GCC parent companies
- One trip to UAE for biometrics, medical test, and EID stamping (4 to 5 days)
- MoIAT pre-approval application for food, chemicals, or pharma activities
- KYC documents for bank account (source of funds, business plan)
- Facility fit-out decisions and civil compliance signoffs
From Signed Quote to Active Company, Usually 14 Days.
A real timeline, not a promise of fast and easy. Days are working days for a standard Hamriyah setup. Bank account is a separate step with its own timeline.
Initial Scoping Call
30 minutes. We confirm your activity against HFZA’s permitted list, choose facility type, and issue a signed itemised quote.
YOUDocument Prep and Facility Selection
You prepare documents. We identify available units and confirm lease terms. Overseas attestation runs in parallel and typically takes 2 to 4 weeks from home country.
YOU AND USApplication and Initial Approval
We submit through the HFZA E-Services Portal: trade name, MoA drafting, activity documentation. HFZA issues initial approval. Regulated activities add a parallel MoIAT track of 4 to 8 weeks.
USLease, License, Establishment Card, E-Channel
License issued 5 to 10 working days post-submission, or 2 to 5 on fast-track. Establishment card and e-channel registration follow in sequence. Both must be complete before any visa application can be submitted.
YOU AND USVisa, Medical, and Emirates ID
Entry permit issued. Medical fitness test and biometrics at any ICP Customer Happiness Centre. Emirates ID delivered approximately 2 weeks after stamping to HFZA’s on-territory Emirates Post Office.
YOU AND USBank Account
Tier-1 bank introduction, compliance file preparation, and account opening. Straightforward industrial setups: 6 to 10 weeks. Indian or Pakistani passport holders: allow 8 to 12 weeks.
YOU AND USSteel Fabrication and Metalwork
Chemical Blending and Storage
Oil and Gas Equipment and Services
Food Trading and Processing
Marine Services and Construction
Logistics and Freight Forwarding
A Few of the Hamriyah Setups We Ran in the Last 18 Months.
Anonymised at the founder’s request. We can connect you with a reference in your sector on the scoping call.
FZE Setup for an Indian Steel Fabricator Supplying GCC Infrastructure Projects
Founder needed a UAE entity for invoicing Saudi and Kuwaiti contractors directly. Industrial license, 2 visas, 276 sqm pre-built unit with overhead crane provisions, RAKBANK business account, FTA corporate tax registration. Activity code: structural steel fabrication and surface coating.
Branch Setup for a UK Food Importer Re-Exporting Frozen Goods to GCC Markets
UK group branch at HFZA for GCC distribution. Commercial license, cold storage unit 200 sqm, 2 visas, Sharjah Municipality food safety clearance, FAB business account. Customs suspension on all inventory until point of GCC sale.
Flexi-Desk Trading License for a Solo Founder With a 7-Visa Import and Re-Export Operation
Founder needed a UAE entity for importing industrial spare parts and re-exporting to East Africa. HBC flexi-desk, 1-visa trading license, expanded to 7 visas without a warehouse upgrade. FAB business account opened in 6 weeks. Year-one cost well below any warehouse scenario.
Questions We Hear on Most Hamriyah Scoping Calls.
FAQ
Can I Set Up in Hamriyah Without a Physical Warehouse?
Not necessarily. HFZA’s Hamriyah Business Centre (HBC) offers virtual office and flexi-desk packages starting from approximately AED 11,000, supporting up to 7 residence visas, one of the most generous virtual office visa quotas in any UAE free zone. These suit consultancies, IT firms, HR businesses, freight brokers, and trading companies that do not physically store goods inside the zone.
If your business involves importing, storing, manufacturing, or physically processing goods at scale, a warehouse or industrial unit is required. For businesses needing a UAE entity with no physical presence at all, RAKEZ, IFZA, or SHAMS may be more cost-effective starting points. See our complete guide to free zone setup in UAE for a full comparison of options.
How Long Does a Hamriyah Company Setup Actually Take?
Company registration at HFZA can be completed in 1 working day for standard activities when all documents are in order. Warehouse setups take longer because a business plan must be submitted and approved. HFZA issues the trade license in 5 to 10 working days post-document submission, or 2 to 5 days on the fast-track route.
The establishment card and e-channel registration must both be complete before any visa application can be submitted. From license to first stamped visa: four to five weeks when everything moves without queries. Founders who plan team arrival dates from the license issue date consistently arrive at the wrong number by three to four weeks.
Does a Hamriyah Company Qualify for the UAE 0% Corporate Tax Rate?
Yes, under the Qualifying Free Zone Person framework, subject to three conditions: genuine substance in the zone (real employees, real operations), qualifying income from free zone or foreign sources, and non-qualifying income not exceeding the lower of 5% of total revenue or AED 5 million in any tax year. Income from GCC and export sales typically qualifies. Revenue from UAE mainland distributors is non-qualifying.
If your mainland revenue exceeds the de minimis threshold, all income becomes taxable at 9% for that tax period and the following four consecutive tax periods. Get the qualifying versus non-qualifying revenue split confirmed before the license is issued, not at the first FTA filing.
What Is the Minimum Realistic Budget for a Hamriyah Setup?
A flexi-desk trading or service license with one investor visa starts from approximately AED 25,625 in year one, including the license, P.O. box, investor visa, establishment card, e-channel registration, and our setup fee. This includes the AED 5,000 refundable e-channel security deposit; the true non-refundable outlay is approximately AED 20,625. Health insurance is a mandatory additional cost from AED 1,500 per person.
A 200 sqm warehouse with two investor visas runs approximately AED 110,000 to AED 115,000 (excluding the refundable deposit and health insurance). Any quote significantly below these figures is excluding the establishment card, e-channel registration, or the facility deposit. The annual license fee of AED 11,000 is not a setup budget.
Can a Hamriyah Company Sell Directly to UAE Mainland Customers?
Yes, but every shipment from the free zone to a UAE mainland buyer requires a customs clearance and applicable import duties. This is standard across all UAE free zones. For manufacturers with high mainland transaction volumes, the per-shipment customs cost compounds quickly. For exporters selling primarily to GCC and international markets, goods leave the zone directly without attracting UAE customs duties.
On liquidation: flexi-desk licenses take a few working days to close, warehouses require a 3-month notice period, and land plots require 6 months. Company liquidation authority fees run approximately AED 6,000 (HFZA standard charge). Total liquidation cost including visa cancellations, clearance letters, and audit requirements is higher; confirm the full figure with HFZA at the time of closure. Refundable deposits paid under visas and facilities are returned on formal closure.
Do You Guarantee the Bank Account Opens?
No consultancy can guarantee bank approval. The bank decides based on its own KYC review. What we do is pre-screen your file against each bank’s actual industrial sector criteria before submission: RAKBANK for Northern Emirates industrial clients, FAB and Mashreq for mid-size trading and manufacturing, Emirates NBD for established industrial operators with volume.
Hamriyah is one of the UAE’s most established free zones and has banks on its territory, which makes account opening more predictable than at newer zones. For Indian passport holders we set the expectation at 8 to 12 weeks and prepare for at least one additional documentation round.