Creative City Fujairah

Company setup from 5,520 AED

Registration from 1 week

Bank account Guaranteed

Residence visas for 2 years

Emirabiz experts’ opinion

Is Creative City suitable for your business?

— Yes

• If you are engaged exclusively in professional activities unrelated to trade, ranging from management or marketing consultancy to intellectual property rights protection and personal training.
• If you need a completely remote business registration, then with Creative City, you do not need to come in person unless you plan to act as a sponsor or obtain a driver's license.
• If you are looking for an affordable and quick way to establish a company with a professional license in the UAE, the cost of business setup starts from 5,520 AED.
• If you need a large number of visas, Creative City’s packages provide for up to 15 visa allocations in a multi-visa package with a flexi-desk.

— No

• If you are engaged in trading activities but prioritize lower setup costs, you might consider Umm Al Quwain Free Zone, which is closer to Dubai and offers reasonable fees, potentially striking a better balance between convenience and cost for certain business needs.
• If you plan to sponsor dependents while living in Dubai, then Creative City is also not the most convenient option, as the Emirate of Fujairah is the farthest from Dubai, about a 2-hour drive.
• If you need to obtain a driver's license, you will have to visit the Immigration Authority in Fujairah in person, which means you will also need to go to Creative City Fujairah.
• If you need professional activities and services closer to Dubai, you might consider SHAMS Free Zone or AMC Free Zone as alternatives.
• For people that have not visited the UAE prior or does not have a UAE residency visa. Fujairah freezone requires an applicant's UID number to be able to process the license registration. If you have not visited the UAE before, and you are considering setting up a company in CCFZ, you can contact your business setup advisor for further advise and solution.

Creative City company formation process

Company registration can be done remotely regardless of if you are in the UAE or abroad, your company can be registered in 2-3 working days after the initial approval if you opt for a package without visas.

Step 1. Determine which type of entity and the type of license offered by the Fujairah Creative City free zone suits you.

It is crucial to approach this question carefully, as choosing the wrong activity, registration authority, or location can lead to errors during company registration, creating problems with opening a bank account or getting a residence visa.

In Creative City you can register one of the following legal entities:

• Free Zone Establishment (FZE) - One shareholder
• Free Zone Company (FZC) - Multiple shareholders
• Branch of a local company
• Branch of a foreign company

Step 2. Prepare the necessary documents. Creative City requires a minimal documentation package.

• Passport copy of the owners (6-month validity required)
• Visa or the previous entry stamp to the UAE
• Suggested company name
• Business activity

After all the documents have been compiled and the necessary paperwork has been drafted, it is required to pay the necessary fees for the registration process to proceed with the application.

Step 3. Receive the license and registration documents for the company, namely

• Certificate of incorporation
• License
• Lease agreement
• MoA and Articles of Association

Step 4. Submit the Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO) Declaration form at https://sys.ccfz.ae/ubo. This is a mandatory step in the Creative City company set-up procedure after the license issuance. Otherwise, you will be subject to penalties and fines. UBO is a natural person who directly or indirectly owns or controls the company and who owns more than 25% of the equity and has more than 25% of voting rights.

Step 5. Receive an establishment card that contains information about your company and makes it eligible to sponsor residence visas. It will take 7-10 working days to receive the card.

Step 6. Apply for an entry permit.

If you apply from inside the UAE, after the entry permit is issued you have to change your visa status from the previous visa to a residence visa. If you are outside the UAE, then arrive in the country, get your entry permit stamped and then proceed with the rest of the residence visa process, submitting the necessary documents.

Step 7. Undergo a medical checkup and submit documents for a residency visa.

Step 8. Apply for an Emirates ID.

Step 9. Complete biometrics procedure in one of the Emirates ID centers.

Step 10. Once you have the results of your medical test and biometrics you can submit all the details for a visa approval. Your electronic visa will be sent to you by email. You can also find it in the UAE ICP app.

Step 11. Receive your Emirates ID. After the residence visa is issued, the Government prepares a plastic identity card which is an important document that is required to open a bank account, rent an apartment, pay bills or fines, etc. It also entitles you to many local services and discounts.

Step 12. Open a bank account. Apply to a UAE bank to open a corporate bank account. The approval may take a few weeks.

After receiving the account details, you can start running your business in the UAE.

Creative City licenses and cost

As we have mentioned above, Creative City Fujairah offers only professional licenses. The starter set-up package without visas will cost 5,520 AED.

Each license includes 3 business activities. The license is valid for 1 year and is renewable annually.

The license package price covers: the license, an establishment card, PRO services, flexi-desk services, e-channel registration for 1 year, and government fees. Only 2 visas and Emirates ID fees are included; you will have to pay for any additional visa allocation (up to 15 visas). Medical expenses are paid separately.

Creative City business activities

Creative City Fujairah does not have any trading business activities at all.

It provides an impressive professional activities list with a broad spectrum of service and consultancy segments.

The business activities include the following:

• Broadcasting
• Media & Marketing
• Publishing
• Event Management
• Media Support Services
• Consultancy
• New Media Services
• Business Information
• Production
• Music & Entertainment
• Information technology
• Design
• Education

Some activities like broadcasting require pre-approval from the free zone management.

Creative City facilities

This free zone offers a modern, fully equipped business center with round-the-clock access (available on hours-per-month basis).

The following facilities can be leased from Creative Zone Fujairah:

The services that come with these facilities include:

• Meeting room access
• Fast speed internet access
• Printing and copying services
• Receptionist
• Maintenance and cleaning

All facilities are located in Fujairah free zone.

Creative City visa costs

If you establish business in Fujairah Free Zone, you are entitled for residence visas for you, your personnel, and family members.

Depending on the licensing package you choose, you can have up to 15 visas that are already included in the offer. However, if you need to apply for additional visa, check out the table below to find the cost:

Creative City Fujairah visa costs (AED):

This resident visa is valid for 2 years.

If you would like to sponsor dependents under their visa, the process is quite easy and the following documents are required:

• Tenancy contract: You should rent an apartment in the UAE.
• Marriage certificate: You should attest it in the UAE Embassy in the country of origin and Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the UAE.
• Birth certificate (for your child): It also has to be attested by the UAE Embassy in your country and Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the UAE.

Some nationalities are considered as high-risk in Fujairah Free Zone. Such countries are:

• Syria
• Bangladesh
• Turkey
• Egypt
• Algeria
• Sudan
• Iraq, and others.

Note that this list changes frequently and varies in different emirates, so you should check with your business setup consultant what is applicable to your nationality at the time of registration. Alternatively, you consider a business setup in Dubai, where the immigration laws are flexible and you are almost guaranteed to have your license and residency visa approved.

It is mostly recommended for citizens from high-risk countries to set up their business in Dubai because immigration restrictions in this emirate are minimal. DMCC company formation is one of the most popular options of business setup in Dubai now.

Creative City company license renewal

The process of renewing your company is straightforward and can be conveniently managed remotely by your appointed agent.

This renewal is required annually, and its cost, which is notably lower than the initial setup expenditure, varies depending on the company's chosen package.

For companies operating bank accounts within the UAE, it's obligatory to present the newly issued license to the bank following renewal. This step ensures the continuation of the company's banking services without any interruptions.

Creative City company amendments

Company amendments in Creative City Fujairah can include:

• Change of company name
• Change of the manager (person-in-charge)
• Change of business activities
• Shares transfer, etc.

The fees are about 2,000 AED for shares transfer and even less for other amendments.

Creative City company liquidation

The liquidation of a company in Creative City Fujairah can only proceed upon receiving a personal application from either a shareholder or an authorized representative holding a power of attorney from the company owners.

A fee of AED 4,000 is applicable for the cancellation of the company license, and an additional AED 600 is charged for the cancellation of a resident visa.

If the company has maintained a corporate bank account, it is essential that this account is closed before initiating the liquidation process. A confirmation letter from the bank, validating the closure of the account, will be needed.

Upon successful dissolution of the company, the free zone authority will issue an official deregistration letter. This serves as a formal confirmation of the company's liquidation, marking the conclusion of its existence within the free zone.

About Creative City Fujairah

The Emirate of Fujairah has an authority called Creative City Fujairah Free Zone. It was launched in 2007 as an alternative to Dubai Media City.

Creative Zone Fujairah is a zone which focuses on professional service activities. It does not have any trading activities.

This free zone offers a remote business setup and visa processing.

It has a fast registration process that can be completed within a week with 100% ownership without any capital requirements or annual audits.

You can get from zero up to 15 residence visas - it is one of the best visa offers among UAE business setup options.