Rawdah permit: how to book your Rawdah visit in the Nusuk app

What is the Rawdah?

The Rawdah, also called Riyad al-Jannah, is a small area inside Masjid an-Nabawi in Madinah. It lies between the Prophet’s ﷺ house, where he is buried, and his minbar. The Prophet ﷺ said that the space between his house and his minbar is a garden from the gardens of Paradise, and so almost every pilgrim to Madinah longs to pray there. To do that today, you need a Rawdah permit from the Nusuk app.

You will know the Rawdah by its green carpet. The space is small and the visitors are many, so entry is controlled with permits for fixed time slots. This guide explains the rules as reported, the booking steps and what to expect on the day.

Rawdah permit rules (as reported, October 2026)

Here is how the Rawdah permit works at the time of writing:

• Every visit needs a permit with a date and a time slot, booked in the official Nusuk app.
• Each person needs their own permit.
• As reported (October 2026), one person can get one Rawdah permit every 365 days.
• Men and women have separate time slots, and usually different entry gates.
• The permit is free in the official Nusuk app.
• Staff check the permit and its QR code at the entry, and you must come at the time on your permit.

These rules have changed several times in recent years and can change again at short notice. On the day, always follow what the Nusuk app and the mosque staff tell you.

Before you travel: set up the Nusuk app

Set up the app at home, with good internet and time to fix any problems, rather than in a hotel lobby in Madinah.

If someone in your family is not comfortable with phone apps, ask our team for help setting up Nusuk before you travel.

How to book a Rawdah permit in the Nusuk app, step by step

The app’s screens change from time to time, but booking usually goes like this:

If no slots are open, check again at different times of the day, as slots are released from time to time. Do not book through unknown websites or links forwarded on WhatsApp.

Separate times for men and women

Men and women visit the Rawdah at different times, and usually enter through different gates. The hours change with the season, with Ramzan and with the prayer times, so go by the time on your own permit, not by what a relative was told last year.

If the men and women of one family have permits at different times, agree in advance where you will meet afterwards, and keep phones charged. Women travelling in a group can ask the group leader which gate their slot uses.

On the day: arrive early and carry little

Reach the entry shown on your permit early. Staff check permits at the entry, and visitors often wait in a holding area until their turn comes. If you arrive late, you may miss your turn.

Make wudu before you leave the hotel, as there may be no chance once you are in the line.

Etiquette inside the Rawdah

The Rawdah is small, and every person in it has waited a long time for this moment. Be as gentle with others as you would want them to be with you.

• Walk in calmly; don’t run or push to reach the front
• Pray two rak’ah if there is space, and keep your du’a short and from the heart
• Once you have prayed, make room so that someone else can pray
• Keep your voice low, and don’t argue over space
• Avoid taking photos and videos; it disturbs people at prayer, and staff may stop you
• Move on when the staff ask your group to leave

If you cannot get a slot

It happens, especially in Ramzan and in the busy winter months. Don’t lose heart: your days in Madinah are still a blessing. Here is what you can do:

• Keep checking the app at different times of the day, including late at night
• Ask our team to look too. Our itinerary plan includes a Rawdah visit booked for the group when slots allow, but no one can promise a slot
• If you had a permit within the last 365 days, the app may not let you book again, as reported
• Pray in Masjid an-Nabawi as much as you can; every prayer in the Prophet’s ﷺ mosque is precious
• Never pay touts, so-called agents or social media pages that promise a Rawdah slot for money

The permit is free in the official app, and paid offers are often fake or against the rules. If anyone asks you for money for a Rawdah permit, tell our team.