Hamriyah Free Zone

Company setup from AED 11,000

Registration from 1 day

Bank account Guaranteed

Residence visas for 2 years

Emirabiz experts’ opinion

Hamriyah Free Zone authorized partner

Is Hamriyah Free Zone suitable for your business?

Yes,

• if you are looking for a business setup in an established and renowned free zone in the UAE or specifically in Sharjah, as HFZA is one of the country’s oldest and largest free zones.
• if your business has to do with trade, industry, or logistics, as HFZA enjoys excellent logistical connectivity with both other emirates and the adjacent GCC states.
• if your business requires sea and port operations, as HFZA allows for a Marine Service license and has its own port with access to both the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
• if you prefer a free zone with highly-developed infrastructure, as HFZA offers a broad variety of facilities and amenities, including an in-house customs office Emirates Identity Authority.
• if you’re looking for a free zone with a fast and efficient setup process, as company registration in HFZA takes only 1 day provided all the requirements are met.

You can also consider an alternative solution such as a business setup in JAFZA or RAKEZ, which are great for industrial or logistics-related companies as well.

No,

• if you intend to open a business in Dubai or require a remote company setup.
• if your business deals with non-industrial activities, such as media or IT, and does not require storage or logistical facilities. For such activities, we would recommend applying toIFZA or Sharjah Media City.

Hamriyah Free Zone company formation process

Company registration in the Hamriyah Free Zone can be done in 1 working day if all the required documents are provided and other requirements are met. Warehousing registration will take a bit longer as you need to provide a business plan for approval.

For some activities, it’s also required to get third-party approval - for example, approval from the Ministry of Health for medical goods trading. It will also take additional time.

Company registration procedure in Hamriyah Free Zone

Step 1.Choose your business activities and license type.

Determine the business activities of your future company and the corresponding license type. This aspect is vital for a successful business setup, as choosing the wrong activity and license can cause errors during company registration, leading to problems with opening a bank account or even preventing you from doing it.

Step 2.Determine the legal entity of your business.

Specify your business’s legal entity in the Hamriyah Free Zone. Available company formation types at HFZA include FZE (Free Zone Establishment), FZC (Free Zone Company), or branches of an already existing local or foreign company.

Step 3.Prepare and file the required documentation.

Prepare and submit the necessary documents together with the application form. HFZA requires very few documents for company formation:

• Passport copy
• Passport-size photo
• Business plan (only for certain activities)
• No Objection Certificate (NOC) from current sponsor (if holding a valid UAE visa) attested by the Chamber of Commerce

This step also involves paying all the registration and processing fees.

Step 4.Collect the license and registration documents.

Receive the license and registration documents for the company, including:

• Certificate of Incorporation
• Business license
• Memorandum and Articles of Association
• Investment Service Agreement
• Share certificate
• Lease agreement

The documents you get after company registration are electronic. Only the MOA and the lease agreement will be handed over to you as hard copies.

Step 5.Secure your Establishment Card.

Receive the Establishment Card containing information about your company and visa quotes.

Step 6.Apply for an entry permit.

Apply for an entry permit. If you’re outside of the UAE during the processing of the entry permit, you will need to come to the country when the document is issued within 60 days to complete the medical test and biometrics for your visa. If you’re in the UAE when the entry permit is issued, a status change will be done from your previous UAE tourist/residency visa to the new one.

Step 7. Take a medical test and submit visa documents.

Undergo a medical checkup and submit documents for a residence visa. Different registration packages may provide for a varying number of visas available for owners and employees of the company. 

Step 8.  Collect your Emirates ID.

Once your visa is issued, secure your Emirates ID card.

Step 9.  Open a bank account.

Apply to a UAE bank to open a corporate bank account. HFZA is one of the UAE’s most respectable free zones and has banks on its territory, so you should have no problem with account opening. Once you receive your account details, you are free to start running your business.

Hamriyah Free Zone license costs

Hamriyah Free Zone company registration starts from AED 11,000 as a license fee. It has a provision to apply for 1 resident visa. On top of that, you will need to rent a P.O. box for about AED 1,000 per year.

Warehousing prices currently start from AED 56,000 for 200 sq. meters (which includes a 20% discount for the 1st and 2nd year). The fee can be paid in installments. This does not include the license cost, deposit, and other additional fees.

HMZA’s cheapest 1-year license packages:

You can have 1 to 5 shareholders in a license and up to 10 product categories under the trading/import/export license. A 10 sqm office space is included in the license. You will get a business address, a company name board and water and electricity bills included.

Additional costs apart from the license fee include:

• HFZA visa fees
• HFZA rent costs
• HFZA Establishment Card
• Medical checkup
• Emirates ID
• Insurance for investor/manager/employee

Hamriyah Free Zone licenses and business activities

The business activity list at Hamriyah Free Zone is vast and mainly related to industry, trading, and logistics. However, it has recently amended and improved its activity list by adding many highly demanded ones, such as:

• Insurance consultancy
• Fashion designing
• Sports research and consultancy
• Science and technology consultancy
• Investment of own resources
• And others

Even the most basic license allows you to have up to 3 business activities without additional fees. In the table below, you can find the list of business licenses supported by HFZA and their descriptions.

Your license can belong only to one of these categories. If you want to mix them, an additional license will have to be purchased. There is no general trading license in HFZA, but you can purchase a trading/import/export license with up to 10 product categories.

The Hamriyah Free Zone also offers a Marine Service license, vessels, and freight broker, which allows full operations in the seaport. This is a great advantage, as not that many free zones in the UAE have their own ports providing such activities.

Hamriyah Free Zone facilities

Hamriyah Free Zone is one of a few zones that enjoy their own 14-meter-deep seaport, 7-meter-deep inner harbor, a huge territory of 26 mln sq. meters, warehouses, and office facilities.

The free zone is a preferred location of many industrial companies due to low rates for electricity and rent.

Below are the facility options available at HFZA:

Hamriyah Free Zone has all the additional facilities to help your business operate: its own customs office, logistics companies, storage solutions, banks, medical fitness center, and Emirates Identity Authority.

Hamriyah Free Zone residence visas

HFZA companies are flexible in terms of visas. You can open a company eligible for from 1 up to 7 visas without renting an executive office. A warehouse facility allows you to open up to 50 visas. It beats many other ways to get a UAE residence visa due to high visa numbers. 

The visa of an investor or partner is valid for 2 years, an employee visa – for 2 years as well. 

HFZA visa costs:

Medical checkups do not have to be done in the free zone itself. The Emirates ID will be received after about 2 weeks from the day of visa stamping. It will be delivered to the Emirates Post Office on the territory of the free zone and you can collect it from the offices of your business setup consultant.

Hamriyah Free Zone company license renewal

Any company in the Hamriyah Free Zone must be renewed on a yearly basis. There are also options to obtain a multi-year license. The renewal can be done without the personal presence of the shareholder. There is a government requirement to provide an audit report at the time of renewal. You need to start auditing after the 2nd year of operations.

To renew your business license, submit an application form with the required documents to the free zone authorities, sign the renewed lease agreement, pay the renewal fees, and wait for your license to be renewed. The documents include:

• Original business license
• PO Box renewal receipt
• Audit report 

There is an option to sign a waiver letter and pay a fee of 1,000 AED if you cannot submit the audit report.

Hamriyah Free Zone company amendments and regulations

If you need to, you can make a company amendment at any time, and as many of them as you require. The list of the most common available amendments includes:

• Change of company name
• Change of business activity
• Shares transfer
• Change of Director/Manager
• And others

Hamriyah Free Zone company liquidation

The timeframe of liquidation at HFZA depends on the facility you are renting. Licenses with flexi-offices take a few working days. If you have a warehouse, you need to submit a 3-month notice, for a plot of land – a 6-month notice.

The liquidation procedure at HFZA consists of the following steps:

1. Provide the following mandatory documents:

• Board resolution signed by the shareholders and stating the reason for the company liquidation
• Deregistration documentation
• Business license and all other company incorporation documents
• Customs Clearance Letter
• Auditor Liquidation Certificate
• Audit report

2. Pay cancellation fees and settle other payments. Once this is done, the liquidation process is initiated.

3. All residence visas and other immigration-related documents issued under the company need to be canceled as well.

4. Once the liquidation is complete, you will be notified and receive the corresponding documents.

The deposits you have paid under the visas and office or warehouse facilities will be returned once the company is closed.

About Hamriyah Free Zone

Hamriyah Free Zone Authority (HFZA) is governed by the Emirate of Sharjah and is the second largest free zone of the UAE after JAFZA. It was founded in 1987 and is rapidly growing, expanding its size and number of companies. Many large national and international businesses have their representative offices in Hamriyah.

This free zone has several logistical advantages. Thanks to the unique location of Sharjah, which is the only emirate with access to both the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, Hamriyah Port is very convenient. In addition, the emirate is located in the center of the road network connecting it to all other 6 emirates and the adjacent GCC states, while Sharjah International Airport grants it flight access to 230 cities.

Hamriyah is becoming a more customer-friendly zone, suitable for both SMEs and large companies. If you need an office or a warehouse for a reasonable price in a logistically advantageous location with great connectivity, Hamriyah Free Zone Authority in the Emirate of Sharjah can be your option.