Rawdah Permit Booking on the Nusuk App — A Step-by-Step Guide

What is the Rawdah?

The Rawdah (Ar-Rawdah ash-Sharifah, often called Riyad ul-Jannah) is the small area inside Masjid an-Nabawi in Madinah between the house of the Prophet ﷺ — where he is buried today — and his minbar. The Prophet ﷺ said, in a hadith reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim: "Between my house and my minbar is a garden from the gardens of Paradise."

For that reason almost every pilgrim from India hopes to pray there at least once. The area is marked by a distinct green carpet and is much smaller than most people imagine, which is why entry is now organised in short, timed slots with a permit.

Do you need a permit for the Rawdah?

Yes. You can pray anywhere else in Masjid an-Nabawi without a permit, but entering the Rawdah itself needs a Rawdah permit booked through the official Nusuk app of the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. The permit is free. Each permit is for a specific date, time and category (men or women), and it carries a QR code that is checked at entry.

The same Nusuk account is used for other services during your trip, so it is worth setting it up properly before you leave India. Your visa should be issued first — see our Umrah visa from India guide for the process and timelines.

How to book a Rawdah permit on Nusuk: step by step

Screens in the app change from time to time, but the steps are broadly the same:

1. Install the official Nusuk app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Check that the publisher is the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah; avoid look-alike apps.
2. Register and verify your account using your passport and Saudi visa details. Type every number exactly as it appears on your passport and visa — a mismatch is the most common reason an account cannot book.
3. Open the Rawdah service. On the home screen, look under the Prophet's Mosque services for the option to pray in the Noble Rawdah.
4. Choose the category — men or women. Each has its own timings and entry route.
5. Pick a date and time slot from those shown as available. If your family members are linked to your account, you can usually add them to the same slot.
6. Confirm and save the permit. It appears in the app with a QR code. Take a screenshot as a backup, because mobile signal near the mosque can be weak. If the app asks you to confirm attendance closer to the time, do it.

Rules to know before you book

• Limited per person. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has said a new Rawdah permit can be booked only after 365 days from your last one. The app tells you if you are not eligible yet.
• Right category, right time. A men's permit cannot be used in women's timings and vice versa. If you picked the wrong one, cancel it and book again.
• Missed slot = new booking. If you arrive after your slot, you will usually not be let in; you have to book a new slot.
• Children. Rules for children are set in the app — check them when you book for a family.
• Free means free. Nobody can sell you a Rawdah slot. Use only the official app.

How to get a Rawdah slot when the app shows none

New slots are released in batches and the popular ones go within minutes. Pilgrims who get a permit usually do a few simple things:

• Register in India as soon as your visa is issued, so you are not setting up an account on the day.
• Check the app several times a day — early morning and late night often show fresh slots — and keep checking even after you reach Madinah.
• Stay more nights in Madinah. Four or five nights give you many more chances than two. Our 15 days Umrah package and 10 days Umrah package plan for this.
• Travel in a quieter month. Slots are easier outside Ramadan and the December holidays — see the best time for Umrah calendar. If you are travelling in December or Ramadan, start checking the app the day your visa is issued.
• Be flexible with times. Late-night and early-morning slots are often easier to find than those right after the main prayers.

On the day: entry and etiquette

• Arrive early — around 30 minutes before your slot — and go to the entry point shown on your permit or by the mosque staff.
• Keep your phone charged with the permit open (and the screenshot ready), and carry your passport in case staff want to match it.
• Travel light. Leave large bags at the hotel; bring only your phone, passport and a small bag for your shoes.
• The visit is short. Groups are moved in and out after a few minutes, so decide in advance what you want to do: pray two rak'ahs of nafl if it is not one of the times when voluntary prayer is disliked (your Aalim can explain these), and make the duas you have prepared.
• Be gentle with others. Do not push, do not block the way for photos or videos, and leave calmly when the staff ask — this is part of the adab of the place.

For the etiquette of Masjid an-Nabawi and sending salaam on the Prophet ﷺ, read the Madinah section of our Umrah guide.

Rawdah for women

Women have their own Rawdah timings and their own entry route, separate from men, and the area is arranged for them during those times. Book in the women's category, go to the ladies' entrance shown on the permit, and keep your mahram's phone number handy because men and women of the same family will be in different parts of the mosque. Timings change by season, so always check them in the app.

Elderly parents and first-time pilgrims

The Nusuk app can feel difficult for an elderly parent or someone using it for the first time. It helps if one younger family member manages the whole family's accounts, books slots that avoid long waits in the heat, and stays close by on the day. Plan a hotel close to Masjid an-Nabawi so the walk is short — our Makkah and Madinah hotels guide shows the distances.

On every Haramain Elite package our Hindi/Urdu-speaking team in Madinah helps you register on Nusuk and book Rawdah slots, and the Aalim explains the adab of the visit. Permits are allotted only by the authorities, so we cannot guarantee one — but we plan your Madinah nights to give you the best chance. Compare our Umrah packages from India or send us your dates on WhatsApp.