You no longer get into the Rawdah at the Prophet's Mosque by joining a long queue and hoping. Every visit now needs an appointment, and Rawdah booking happens entirely in the Nusuk app: you book, you confirm, and an entry code appears. The steps are simple, but one or two details can cancel your booking if you miss them, the best known being the confirmation window that closes two hours before your slot. This guide collects the rules as Nusuk publishes them, in the order you will meet them.
The 2026 rules for booking a Rawdah visit
According to Nusuk, organising visits this way raised daily capacity from about 5,000 visitors to more than 50,000. The trade-off is that your appointment is binding. The rules are few:
- Once a year through the advance booking service. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah counts 365 days from the date of your previous permit, after which you can book again.
- Each visit lasts 20 minutes. When your time is up, you are asked to leave so the next group can enter.
- The entry code works once. It is a QR code that appears after you confirm, and it cannot be reused.
- Men and women have separate time slots, so pick the ones that apply to you.
The only exception to the once-a-year rule is the "instant path" service, covered in its own section below.
Before you start
- The Nusuk app on your phone with an active account. It is on the App Store, Google Play and AppGallery. If you have never used it, start with our complete Nusuk app guide.
- Your dates in Madinah, so you don't book a day when you will be in Makkah or on the road.
- If you are booking for family, each person needs their own Nusuk account, because they approve being added from that account.
How to book the Rawdah in the Nusuk app
1. Pick a slot
Open the Rawdah service in the app, choose the booking service, then pick a day and time from the available slots. Same-day booking works if a slot is free, but since this is your one booked visit of the year, it is safer to book before you travel.
2. If the day is full, join the waiting list
If there is nothing on the day you want, register on that day's "waiting list" and you will get notifications when slots open. You can only wait on one day at a time, but you can leave the list and join another day's.
3. Confirm inside the window
This is where most people lose their booking. Booking alone is not enough: the confirmation window opens 48 hours before your slot and closes 2 hours before it, and an unconfirmed booking is cancelled. Set a phone reminder the moment you book, especially if confirmation day is the day you travel from Makkah to Madinah.
4. Open your entry code
After you confirm, the entry code appears in the app. Its colour may differ from other people's codes. That is not a priority system; the colours help organisers stagger group entry times. Make sure your phone is charged and the app opens before you leave the hotel.
5. Arrive 30 minutes early
Nusuk asks visitors to arrive 30 minutes before their slot and head to the entry lanes with the code ready. You cannot enter without a code, and a used code will not work again.
Getting to the entry point
The Rawdah sits inside the Prophet's Mosque between the Prophet's ﷺ chamber and his pulpit, and you enter from the south side. Nusuk's directions:
- By car, the southern car parks (B1 and A1) are closest.
- By bus, get off at the Al-Manakha Tunnel stop and walk to the south side.
- From the courtyards, outer gates 367 and 368, between service buildings 202 and 204, are closest. Signs then lead you to the assembly point.
If you fly into Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz Airport, shuttle buses at the airport run straight to the Prophet's Mosque, or you can take a taxi or a ride-hailing app.
The instant path: visiting again while in Madinah
The instant path is for people already near the central area of the Prophet's Mosque. New slots open every 20 minutes through the day, subject to availability, and it is the only way to visit the Rawdah more than once a year. Its main limit: you cannot book a companion through it, so everyone books for themselves.
In practice, if you have used your yearly visit or missed your slot, the instant path is what you have left. Open it from the courtyards after one of the prayers and look at the nearest slots.
Booking for family and companions
- In the booking service, tap "Add group". You can add up to 4 visitors.
- Each visitor has to approve being added from their own Nusuk account.
- You are responsible for the group. You confirm for everyone from your account, and only you can cancel; added visitors cannot cancel their own bookings.
- You can cancel one person without affecting the others, or cancel the whole group with "Cancel all".
- You can book for others even if you are not eligible yourself, for example after using your own yearly visit.
If you are travelling with elderly parents, our Umrah guide for the elderly covers wheelchairs and getting around both Holy Mosques.
Children, cancellations and common mistakes
Children
Children are not allowed into the Rawdah, for their safety in the crowds. There is a children's care centre in the northern courtyards of the Prophet's Mosque, so arrange that well before your slot.
If something stops you from going
Cancel from your account with "Cancel booking" before the slot, which gives you back the chance to book. If you simply don't show up, the booking is cancelled and the instant path becomes your only way in. You cannot change a confirmed slot either; if you need a different time, cancel and book again.
Mistakes we see often
- Booking, then forgetting to confirm in the 48-hour window.
- Arriving late on the assumption that the slot is flexible.
- Bringing a child to the entry point.
- Booking on your tiring arrival day, then running late because of a flight or the drive.
Making the most of 20 minutes
Twenty minutes goes faster than you expect. Write down beforehand what you want to pray for, for yourself, your family and anyone who asked you to remember them. Photos are allowed, but Nusuk itself suggests spending the time in prayer and supplication, keeping your voice low and leaving food outside. When the time ends, leave promptly; others are waiting for their turn.
Because you only get one booked visit a year, put it on a restful day of your trip. If you are planning your days in Madinah, our 3-day Madinah itinerary helps you fit the Rawdah in around the other sites.
In short
Book before you travel, confirm in the 48-hour window, arrive half an hour early, and arrange care for children at the centre. The rules can change between seasons, so check the Nusuk app a few days before your trip. And if you are still planning the whole journey, the trip planner helps you divide your days between Makkah and Madinah.