How to book the Rawdah on Nusuk (2026)
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- Written by:
- Maqam e Haram
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- 9 minutes
Short answer
You book the Rawdah in the Nusuk app or on the Nusuk website. The permit is free, and men and women book separate slots. Pick the Rawdah permit, a date and an open time, then issue it. Slots fill fast, so use the waitlist and the instant option near the mosque. No one can guarantee you a slot.
On this page
- How to book the Rawdah on Nusuk, step by step
- How often you can visit the Rawdah
- Rawdah timings for men and women
- When to book
- What to expect on the day
- What the Rawdah is
- Etiquette inside the Rawdah
- Elderly parents and wheelchair users
- Children
- If there is no slot
- How the rules have changed
- How Maqam e Haram helps
- Questions and answers
- Sources
The permit itself takes a minute and costs nothing. Getting a slot is the hard part, and the official rules on how often you can go do not agree with each other.
How to book the Rawdah on Nusuk, step by step
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah lists the Rawdah permit as a free service with immediate issue, open to citizens, residents, visitors and GCC citizens, through the Nusuk app and website. Its service page was updated on 19/10/2026; we checked it again on 20/10/2026.
- Install Nusuk from the App Store or Google Play, or open the Nusuk website. Our Nusuk app guide covers setting up the account.
- Sign in. Visitors use the account made with their passport and visa details. The Ministry's page also names Nafath, the Saudi single sign-on, but that is for citizens and residents, so follow the visitor route.
- Open the services list and choose the Rawdah permit, for men or for women.
- Select the person. You can choose yourself or a family member linked to your account.
- Pick a date and one of the open time slots.
- Issue the permit. A QR code appears.
- Take a screenshot of the QR code, so you can show it without internet.
Each person needs their own permit. Because men and women book different slots, a husband and wife go in at different times. If you have young children, decide before you book who stays with them while the other parent is inside.
You cannot edit a permit once it is issued. The Ministry's FAQ says to cancel it in the app before the slot starts, then book a new one. Once the slot has started you cannot cancel it.
How often you can visit the Rawdah
Here the official sources disagree, and we can't tell you which one the app follows today.
| Source | What it says | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Ministry of Hajj and Umrah FAQ | A 30-day gap between visits | FAQ re-checked 19/10/2026 |
| Ministry statement, reported by Gulf News | A booked permit once every 365 days for the same person; more visits possible through the instant option near the mosque | 08/01/2025 |
| Nusuk update, reported by Gulf News and KSA Expats | Instant booking near the Prophet's Mosque when there is space, and a waitlist when slots are full | 28/01/2025 |
Plan for one booked visit per person. Treat any extra visit as something you might get through the instant option once you are in Madinah. If the app lets you book again, it is allowed; if it refuses, no one outside Nusuk can change that.
If you cannot go, cancel the permit before the slot starts. The General Authority's 2024 rules, reported by Gulf News, said that anyone who failed to cancel could not book another visit until a full year had passed. We found no newer rule, so assume a missed slot costs you your next booking.
Rawdah timings for men and women
The General Authority for the Care of the Two Holy Mosques announced these times on its official X account in December 2025. They change, especially in Ramadan, so the slots shown in Nusuk always come first.
| Day | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday to Thursday | 2:00am to Fajr, and 11:20am to Isha | After Fajr to 11:00am, and after Isha to 2:00am |
| Friday | 2:00am to Fajr, 9:20am to 11:20am, and after Jumu'ah to Isha | After Fajr to 9:00am, and after Isha to 2:00am |
The same notice named the entry point as the southern courtyards, in front of Makkah Gate (Gate 37). Entry points have moved before, so check the instructions with your permit in Nusuk and ask the mosque staff if you are unsure.
When to book
- Make your Nusuk account as soon as your visa is issued, while you are still at home.
- Look for Rawdah slots before you fly, and again once you reach Madinah. Slots open as other people cancel.
- Busy weeks fill first: Ramadan, school holidays and the weeks around Eid. Ramadan 1448 is expected to begin about 08/02/2027, depending on the moon sighting. See our guide to Umrah in Ramadan.
- Give yourself more than two nights in Madinah if you can. Three or four nights mean more chances to catch an open slot or the instant option. The cost is fewer nights in Makkah, or a longer and dearer trip, and even four nights is no promise of a second visit.
What to expect on the day
- Arrive early. The 2024 rules asked visitors to be inside the mosque grounds 30 minutes before their time and at the gate 15 minutes before. Add the walk from your hotel.
- Have the QR code ready, with the screen bright, and keep your passport with you.
- Staff check permits at the gate and take groups through waiting areas before the Rawdah itself.
- The time inside is short, and staff move each group along so the next can come in. The 2024 rules set 10 minutes, and we have seen no official change since.
- Men can also give salam at the Prophet's ﷺ grave. The Ministry's FAQ says this needs no booking.
Some guides say Nusuk asks you to confirm your attendance about two hours before the slot. If you see that message, confirm it, or you may lose the booking.
What the Rawdah is
The Rawdah is the part of the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah between the Prophet's ﷺ house, where his grave is, and his minbar. Many families in Pakistan call it Riyaz ul Jannah. Its green carpet stands out from the red carpet around it.
The Prophet ﷺ said that the space between his house and his minbar is a garden from the gardens of Paradise. The hadith is narrated by Abu Hurayrah in Sahih al-Bukhari 1196 and Sahih Muslim 1391. That is where the name comes from: Rawdah means garden.
Etiquette inside the Rawdah
Ask a scholar you trust about anything specific. The practical points:
- Keep your voice low. Qur'an 49:2 tells the believers not to raise their voices above the voice of the Prophet ﷺ, and many people keep that in mind near his grave.
- If there is space, many people pray two units of voluntary prayer, then make dua in their own words and in any language.
- Do not push. Give room to elderly people and wheelchair users.
- Avoid filming other people.
- Move on when staff ask, so others get their turn.
No special dua is required in the Rawdah. Our Umrah duas guide has the salam many people say at the grave, with sources.
Elderly parents and wheelchair users
The General Authority's December 2025 notice said elderly visitors may enter in a manual wheelchair, under the approved guidelines.
If you're taking a parent who can't stand for long, book a quieter slot and avoid Friday prayer and the minutes before Isha. Bring a manual wheelchair; the notice mentions manual wheelchairs only, so don't count on an electric chair or scooter being let in. Wait near the gate and ask staff for help before the group moves in.
Men and women go in separately, so a son usually takes his father and a daughter her mother. If the only adult child is of the other gender, plan for another relative of the parent's gender, or ask our team. Our guide to Umrah with elderly parents covers hotels close to the mosque and transport in Madinah.
Children
The Ministry's FAQ says the minimum age for an Umrah visa or permit is five. Younger children can come with their families to pray in the mosque. We found no official rule on younger children going into the Rawdah with a parent, so check in the app when you add them, and ask the staff at the gate. See also Umrah with kids.
If there is no slot
Nobody can promise you a slot, least of all in Ramadan, and you should never pay anyone who says they can. Permits are free and come only through Nusuk. Our guide to spotting Umrah scams explains other warning signs.
- Join the waitlist in Nusuk and turn on notifications.
- Check the app at different times of day.
- Once you are near the Prophet's Mosque, try the instant option.
- Keep one family member in charge of checking, so you do not book twice by mistake.
- If you still cannot get in, pray anywhere in the Prophet's Mosque. Entry to the mosque itself needs no permit.
The Ministry's FAQ says greeting the Prophet ﷺ at his grave needs no booking, and that this is allowed for men only. Women can still pray anywhere in the women's sections and book the Rawdah in the women's times.
How the rules have changed
| Date | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 to 2022 | Visits booked through Eatmarna (now Nusuk) and Tawakkalna, with a 30-day gap | Gulf News, Ministry FAQ |
| 2024 | Reports of a 10-minute visit and one permit a year | Gulf News, KSA Expats |
| 08/01/2025 | Ministry: one booked permit every 365 days; repeat visits through the instant option near the mosque | Gulf News |
| 28/01/2025 | Nusuk adds instant booking and a waitlist | Gulf News, KSA Expats |
| 05/12/2025 | General Authority sets the men's and women's timings above | General Authority on X, reported by KSA Expats |
| 19/10/2026 | Ministry service page updated: free, immediate, separate men's and women's permits, app and website, Nafath sign-in | haj.gov.sa |
How Maqam e Haram helps
Our team in Madinah knows the gates and the walk from the hotels we book. Ask us before you travel and we will plan your Madinah nights around the Rawdah, help you look for slots for the whole family and work out who goes when. We cannot get slots the app does not show, and we never charge for a Rawdah booking.
If this is your family's first Umrah, see our first Umrah packages or family Umrah packages, or read about Madinah. To ask us anything, WhatsApp or call +92 309 9022120.
Questions and answers
How do I book the Rawdah?
In the Nusuk app or on the Nusuk website. Choose the Rawdah permit for men or women, pick a date and time, and issue the permit.
Is the Rawdah permit free?
Yes. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah lists it as free. Anyone asking you to pay for a permit is not the official service.
How often can I visit the Rawdah?
A Ministry statement in January 2025 said one booked permit every 365 days, with extra visits possible through the instant option near the mosque. The Ministry's FAQ still says 30 days. Check the app.
What are the Rawdah timings for ladies?
The December 2025 notice gave after Fajr to 11:00am and after Isha to 2:00am, with Friday mornings ending at 9:00am. The slots in Nusuk are the final word.
Can my husband and I go together?
No. Men and women have separate permits, times and entrances.
Can children go into the Rawdah?
The Ministry's FAQ gives five as the minimum age for a permit. Check in the app when you add a younger child.
Can my mother go in a wheelchair?
The December 2025 notice allows elderly visitors in a manual wheelchair, under the official guidelines.
Can a travel agent guarantee me a Rawdah slot?
No. Slots come only through Nusuk. Do not pay anyone who promises one.
Do I need a permit to pray in the Prophet's Mosque?
No. The permit is for the Rawdah only. You can pray in the rest of the mosque without one.
Related pages
Sources
The official pages and references we used, with the date we checked them.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 1196: sunnah.com/bukhari:1196 (opens in a new tab) (checked 19/10/2026 through the sunnah.com search listing; the page refused our automated reading again on 20/10/2026, so we give the meaning and reference only)
- Sahih Muslim 1391: sunnah.com/muslim:1391 (opens in a new tab) (checked 19/10/2026 through the sunnah.com search listing)
- Qur'an 49:2: quran.com/49/2 (opens in a new tab) (checked 19/10/2026)
- Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, Rawdah permit service page (updated 19/10/2026): haj.gov.sa/en/E-Services/Permit-to-Visit-Al-Rawdah-Al-Sharifiyah-for-Men-Women (opens in a new tab) (checked 19/10/2026)
- Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, FAQ (30-day gap, minimum age 5, salam at the grave for men, cancelling permits): haj.gov.sa/en/FAQ (opens in a new tab) (re-checked 20/10/2026)
- Gulf News, the General Authority's 2024 Rawdah rules (once a year, 10 minutes, arrive 15 and 30 minutes early, a year's block for not cancelling; updated 27/05/2024): gulfnews.com/world/mena/saudi-arabia-new-guidelines-set-for-visit-to-al-rawdah-al-sharif-in-medina-1.102833461 (opens in a new tab) (checked 20/10/2026)
- Gulf News, repeat visits and the 365-day permit (08/01/2025): gulfnews.com/world/gulf/saudi/saudi-arabia-worshippers-close-to-prophets-mosque-can-repeat-visit-to-al-rawda-al-sharifa-1.500012438 (opens in a new tab) (checked 19/10/2026)
- Gulf News, instant booking and waitlist added (2025): gulfnews.com/world/gulf/saudi/saudi-arabia-adds-instant-booking-and-waitlist-options-for-al-rawdah-al-sharifa-via-nusuk-app-1.500024193 (opens in a new tab) (checked 19/10/2026)
- Gulf News, earlier 30-day rule: gulfnews.com/world/gulf/saudi/saudi-arabia-visit-to-prophets-tomb-limited-to-30-days-per-person-1.83838065 (opens in a new tab) (checked 18/10/2026)
- KSA Expats, 2024 Rawdah guidelines (10 minutes, annual permit): ksaexpats.com/new-guidelines-al-rawdah-al-sharifah-visits/ (opens in a new tab) (checked 19/10/2026)
- KSA Expats, the General Authority's timings, entry point and manual wheelchairs (05/12/2025): ksaexpats.com/visiting-al-rawdah-al-sharifah-rules-and-timings/ (opens in a new tab) (re-checked 20/10/2026)
- KSA Expats, Nusuk instant booking and waitlist (28/01/2025): ksaexpats.com/nusuk-booking-praying-rawdah-al-sharif/ (opens in a new tab) (checked 18/10/2026)
- Wego, Rawdah permit guide (updated 09/09/2026), for the attendance prompt: blog.wego.com/rawdah-permit-guide/ (opens in a new tab) (checked 18/10/2026)