Qeshm Free Zone
Qeshm is Iran's largest island zone and the natural choice when you need land, deepwater port access and a manufacturing licence rather than a trading desk.
Qeshm Island, Strait of Hormuz · established 1990 · ≈1,500 km²
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Qeshm Free Zone
Zone at a glance
- Established
- 1990
- Area
- ≈1,500 km²
- Corporate tax
- 0% for 20 years
- Port
- Multiple wharves, dry dock and shipyard capacity
- Land lease
- 25–30 years, renewable
- Typical registration time
- 5–8 weeks
Qeshm Free Zone covers Iran's largest island, at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz, with roughly 1,500 km² of territory and direct access to Gulf shipping lanes. It combines the fiscal package of a free zone with genuine industrial land availability.
The zone is used for shipbuilding and repair, oil and gas services, food processing and export-oriented manufacturing. Where Kish suits an office, Qeshm suits a plant.
What Qeshm actually gives you
- Twenty-year corporate income tax exemption on zone activity
- Duty-free import of machinery, raw materials and production inputs
- Long-term industrial land leases at rates well below mainland equivalents
- 100% foreign ownership and free profit repatriation
- Preferential treatment for value-added export manufacturing
- Simplified customs clearance through zone-operated gates
Sectors & fit
Best for
Manufacturers, marine and energy-services companies, and exporters that need land, port access and duty-free input imports.
Watch out
Manufacturing licences require an environmental and utilities review that trading licences do not. Build six to ten weeks into the plan for that review rather than assuming a trading-speed process.
What it costs to set up in Qeshm
Indicative ranges for a first-year foreign-owned entity. Actual figures depend on activity, space and headcount — we quote against your specific plan.
| Item | Indicative cost (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Zone registration & licence (first year) | 3,000 – 5,000 | Manufacturing licences sit above trading |
| Annual licence renewal | 1,500 – 2,500 | Payable to the Qeshm Free Zone Organization |
| Industrial land lease (per m², per year) | 1 – 4 | 25–30 year lease, sector dependent |
| Office space (small, per year) | 2,500 – 6,000 | Zone business centres available |
| Legal, translation & notarisation | 1,500 – 3,000 | Consular legalisation included |
| Environmental & utilities clearance | 1,000 – 3,000 | Manufacturing activity only |
How to register a company in Qeshm
Site and activity match
Confirm the activity is permitted and select an industrial plot or office; site visits are arranged through the zone organization.
1–2 weeks
Name clearance
Reserve the Farsi company name with the Qeshm registrar.
3–7 days
Licence application
File the business plan, shareholder pack and, for manufacturing, the process and utilities schedule.
3–6 weeks
Land or premises lease
Execute the lease and register the address against the entity.
1–3 weeks
Company registration
Register with the zone registrar and collect the certificate, national ID and gazette entry.
1–2 weeks
Customs, tax and banking
Obtain the free-zone customs code, open the tax file and set up IRR and FX bank accounts.
2–4 weeks
Documents you will need
- Passport copies of every shareholder and director (notarised, translated into Farsi)
- Parent-company certificate of incorporation and articles of association, legalised by the Iranian consulate
- Board resolution approving the subsidiary or branch and appointing the local signatory
- Three proposed company names, in Farsi, for zone-authority name clearance
- Business plan covering activity, projected turnover, headcount and space requirement
- Proof of address for the leased office, warehouse or plot inside the zone
Qeshm Free Zone FAQ
Is Qeshm better than Kish for manufacturing?
Yes in most cases. Qeshm has industrial land, port and dry-dock capacity and an established manufacturing licensing route, while Kish is optimised for trading, services and tourism.
Can I import machinery duty-free into Qeshm Free Zone?
Machinery, equipment and production inputs enter the zone free of customs duty. Duty applies only when finished goods are moved into mainland Iran.
How long is an industrial land lease in Qeshm?
Typically 25 to 30 years and renewable, granted by the Qeshm Free Zone Organization against an approved investment and construction plan.
How long does registration take in Qeshm?
Five to eight weeks for a trading or service entity. Manufacturing entities that need environmental and utilities clearance should plan for two to three months.