Riaz ul Jannah Permit on Nusuk App: Book, Confirm and Instant Path Rules for Pakistani Pilgrims
Riaz ul Jannah permit on the Nusuk app: one booking a year, confirm 48 to 2 hours before, a 20 minute visit, up to 4 companions and the instant path rules.
You enter Riaz ul Jannah (Al Rawdah Al Sharifah) in Madinah only with a QR code from the Nusuk app: book a slot once a year, confirm it between 48 hours and 2 hours before, and arrive 30 minutes early for a 20 minute visit. If you have already used your yearly booking, the app's instant path offers new slots every 20 minutes while you are near the Prophet's Mosque.
Most Pakistani pilgrims learn these rules at the gate, after the booking has already lapsed. The commonest losses are a slot never confirmed, a child turned away, and a family split because one person booked for six. We read the official Nusuk page for the Rawdah, in Arabic, on 24 October 2026. Here is every rule it sets, in plain English, and how to avoid each mistake.
A Nusuk booking is the only way into Riaz ul Jannah
Nusuk says entry to the Rawdah needs an advance booking through its booking service or a slot from the instant path service. There is no entry without the QR code issued to each visitor, and each code works once.
The Prophet's Mosque itself needs no permit. Nusuk says everyone may enter the mosque at any time, and it stays open 24 hours. The permit is only for the Rawdah, the area between the Prophet's chamber and his pulpit. Nusuk says organised entry has raised daily visitors from about 5,000 to more than 50,000.
| Rule | What Nusuk says |
|---|---|
| Bookings per year | One, through the booking service |
| Repeat visits | Instant path only, slots every 20 minutes |
| Confirmation window | Opens 48 hours before, closes 2 hours before |
| Arrival | 30 minutes before your slot |
| Time inside | 20 minutes |
| Group size | You plus up to 4 visitors |
| Children | Not allowed inside the Rawdah |
How to book a Riaz ul Jannah permit on Nusuk
Open the Rawdah section in the Nusuk app, pick a date and an open time, then confirm the booking in the window before your slot. The QR code appears only after you confirm. Men and women get separate visiting times, so pick the right one.
- Sign in to the Nusuk app and open the Rawdah (Al Rawdah Al Sharifah) section.
- Choose "book your visit" and pick a date and time from those available.
- Add family members as a group if needed, up to four people.
- Confirm the booking between 48 hours and 2 hours before the slot.
- Open the QR code in the app and keep it ready.
- Reach the entry lanes 30 minutes early and follow the signs.
Booking on the same day works if slots are open. If your chosen day is full, join that day's waiting list and Nusuk sends a notice when a slot frees up. You can sit on only one waiting list at a time. To try another day, leave the first list and join the new one.
A reliable data connection in Madinah helps, since the code lives in the app. Compare Saudi roaming bundles from Jazz, Ufone and Zong before you fly.
An unconfirmed booking is cancelled, and you lose the yearly slot
Nusuk says you must confirm, or the booking is cancelled. Confirmation opens 48 hours before the visit and closes 2 hours before. If you miss your slot without cancelling, you cannot book again that year except through the instant path.
This is the rule that costs Pakistani pilgrims most. Group tours often book on arrival day, then forget the confirm step during a long coach ride from Makkah. Set a phone reminder for the day before.
If something comes up after you confirm, cancel at once. Nusuk says cancelling in time lets you book again. You cannot change the time of a confirmed booking. You cancel it and make a new one.
The instant path gives repeat visits every 20 minutes
The instant path is for pilgrims already near the central area of the Prophet's Mosque. It releases new slots every 20 minutes through the day and has no once a year limit. You cannot add companions to an instant path booking.
| Feature | Booking service | Instant path |
|---|---|---|
| When you book | In advance, any date shown | On the spot, while in Madinah |
| How often | Once a year | Repeatable |
| Add companions | Yes, up to 4 | No |
| Slot frequency | Dates and times shown in the app | New slots every 20 minutes |
So the smart order is simple. Use the booking service once for the whole family together. Then use the instant path for your own extra visits.
Group bookings allow 4 visitors, and only the organiser can confirm
You can book for up to four other visitors with the "add group" option. Each person must accept being added from their own Nusuk account. The organiser confirms for everyone, and only the organiser can cancel a member's place.
Practical point for families: every adult needs a Nusuk account of their own before the organiser can add them. Sort this out at the hotel, not at the gate. The organiser can cancel one person without touching the rest, or cancel the whole group at once. Nusuk also lets you book for others even when you are not eligible to visit yourself, which helps a son booking for elderly parents.
The QR codes may show different colours. Nusuk says the colours only help staff move groups in turn. They do not mean a better or worse booking.
Children cannot enter the Rawdah, but there is a childcare centre
Nusuk says children are not allowed into the Rawdah, to protect them from crowding. A childcare centre operates in the northern plazas of the Prophet's Mosque. Children may still enter the mosque itself.
Plan for this before you go. One parent can wait with the children while the other visits, then swap using the instant path. Strollers are allowed only in the outer plazas, and food and drink only outside the mosque.
To reach the Rawdah entry, Nusuk points to the south side. The nearest outer gates are 367 and 368, between service buildings 202 and 204. By car, the south parking areas B1 and A1 are closest. From Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz Airport, shuttle buses run to the mosque. Train users should read the Haramain train ticket and cancellation rules before booking a Makkah to Madinah leg around a Rawdah slot.
Getting the Umrah visa sorted comes first, and the Umrah visa from Pakistan through Nusuk or an agent sets out that stage. Keep the Pakistan Embassy's 24 hour numbers in Saudi Arabia saved too.
Common questions
How many times can I visit Riaz ul Jannah?
Once a year through the booking service. Extra visits are possible through the instant path, with slots every 20 minutes.
When do I confirm my Rawdah booking?
Between 48 hours and 2 hours before the slot. An unconfirmed booking is cancelled.
Can women visit Riaz ul Jannah?
Yes. Nusuk gives men and women separate visiting times.
Can I take my children into the Rawdah?
No. Children are not allowed inside, but a childcare centre runs in the northern plazas.
How long can I stay inside?
Twenty minutes, then you leave so the next group can enter.
Do I need a permit for Masjid an Nabawi itself?
No. The mosque is open to everyone, 24 hours, without a permit. Only the Rawdah needs one.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
We read the official Nusuk page for Al Rawdah Al Sharifah in Arabic on 24 October 2026 and translated its rules and questions. We did not test a booking, and we could not check how Pakistani passport holders create a Nusuk account, whether the app gives the same rules in Urdu, or how often the 20 minute instant path slots fill in peak season. Rules can change during Ramadan and Hajj, so read the app before each trip.
About the author
Public Services and Education Journalist
Fajr Riaz is a journalist and content writer at Pakistan Era, based in Lahore. She covers the questions people meet in everyday life in Pakistan: how a public service works, what a change in the rules means, and where to find a reliable answer.
