Jangchup Lamrim Teachings by HH Dalai Lama

Protected Area Permit Requirement

Please note that the following information applies to the PAP application process to visit Sera Monastery during the 2013 Jangchup Lamrim Teachings. Applying for a PAP to visit a different part of India, or at a different time, may require a different application process.

Who is required to have a PAP?

Sera Monastery is part of Lugsung Samdupling (Bylakuppe) Tibetan Settlement, an area which is classified by the Government of India as a Protected Area. Therefore, all foreign visitors to Sera/Bylakuppe are required to have a Protected Area Permit (PAP).

During the time of His Holiness’ teachings, all foreigners must have a PAP to enter Bylakuppe and attend the teachings, even if your accommodation is not within Bylakuppe. Therefore, while in Bylakuppe you should keep your PAP with you at all times to show the local authorities when you are asked for it.

Indian citizens and Tibetan R.C. holders are not required to have a PAP to visit Sera/Bylakuppe unless they have a foreign passport.

When should I apply for a PAP?

As soon as possible. The PAP application takes at least 2 months to process. In 2012 some applications took more than 4 months to be processed, so you should apply for your PAP as soon as possible.

Final deadline: PAP applications must be received by the Bureau of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in New Delhi no later than 1 October 2013. Applications received after this date cannot be accepted because there will not be sufficient time to process them.

How do I apply for a PAP?

The PAP is obtained by emailing or posting a PAP application form and supporting documents (see below) to the Bureau of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in New Delhi. There is no fee for obtaining this permit.

It is NOT necessary to already have an Indian Visa in order to apply for the PAP.

Once processed, your PAP will be sent to you via email attachment.

How can I check the status of my PAP application?

After you have submitted your PAP application, you will receive an email from the Bureau of His Holiness the Dalai Lama confirming their receipt of your application documents.

If you have any questions about your PAP status (confirmation of receipt, processing status, etc.) please contact the Bureau of His Holiness the Dalai Lama at rehab@tibetbureau.in. Regrettably, the Jangchup Lamrim Teaching Organizing Committee is not able to answer these status questions.

Do I need a PAP Recommendation Letter?

If you are requesting a PAP only to visit Sera during the time of His Holiness’ Jangchup Lamrim Teachings, you do not need to send a recommendation letter with your PAP application.

If your PAP application lists additional settlement areas (more than Sera), or if you are requesting extended dates beyond December 2013 – January 2014, then you must also send a recommendation letter to the Bureau of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Please see the end of this web page for more details about the PAP recommendation letter.

Advice for Completing the PAP Application Form

Download the PAP application form here.

Please note the following important points when completing the form:

Line 10 – References:

  • Part (a): You can list any person in your country of residence as a reference.
  • Part (b): If you do not have an Indian reference, it is not necessary to list one.

Line 12 – Indian Visa:

  • If you have not already obtained your Indian Visa valid for the dates of His Holiness’ teachings, write “Have applied for visa. Not yet received”. Your PAP application will still be processed without any Visa details.

Line 13 – Places proposed to be visited:

  • For Sera Monastery write “Bylakuppe Tibetan Settlement”.
  • If you plan to visit other Tibetan settlement areas, you can list those settlements here, but this may increase the time it takes for your PAP to be processed and a recommendation letter will be required (see end of this web page)

Line 14 – Route intended to be followed:

  • List your expected arrival point in India (such as Bangalore, Mumbai, etc.) followed by the settlement(s) which you listed in Line 13.

Line 15 – Purpose of visit:

  • It is important to write: “To attend His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Jangchup Lamrim Teachings in Bylakuppe December 2013 – January 2014”.
  • If you are applying for an extended PAP (longer than December 2013 – January 2014) you must add a second reason for the longer dates and you must submit a recommendation letter (see end of this web page)

Line 16 – Likely date of visit:

  • List the date on which you want the PAP to begin (for example: 15 December 2013).

Line 17 –Likely duration of visit:

  • We suggest that you apply for at least 15 December 2013 – 15 January 2014, in case the dates of His Holiness’ Teachings change unexpectedly.
  • PAP’s can be issued for up to one year, so you can request dates of up to one year here on Line 17. However, If you are applying for an extended PAP (longer than December 2013 – January 2014) you must submit a recommendation letter (see end of this web page)

Line 18 – Is anyone accompanying the applicant?:

  • If you do not already have these details, it is not necessary to list them here.

Line 19 – Arrangements for travel:

  • If you do not already have these details, it is not necessary to list them here.

Line 20 – Details of previous visits to India:

  • List the approximate dates of any previous visits to India.

At the bottom of the form, add the following information:

  • Your email address where the PAP should be sent to
  • Your phone number in your home country and in India, if any
  • Your signature — even if you are submitting your application by email, the form MUST include your signature. Therefore, you must print out the form, sign it, scan it, and then email the scan.

Submitting the PAP Application

Send all of the following information to the Bureau of His Holiness the Dalai Lama via the postal address OR email address listed below (rehab@tibetbureau.in). Do NOT send your PAP application to the Jangchup Lamrim Teaching Organizing Committee; we can NOT process it for you.

  1. PAP Application Form completed as explained above. (If sending by post, submit original and two photocopies.)
  2. Passport identity page (If sending by post, submit three photocopies.)
  3. Indian Visa, if you have received it. If not, see line 12 above. (If sending by post, submit three photocopies.)


Please note: PAP applications can NOT be processed unless they are completed correctly (including your signature) and include your passport copy.

GROUP APPLICATIONS, please note:

  • Do not submit more than 5-7 PAP applications in each email.
  • Attach the documents to your email in a separate folder for each person. For example: attach Folder 1 with Person 1’s application form, passport and visa; Folder 2 with Person 2’s application form, passport and visa; etc.  If possible, please compress (“zip”) the folders.
  • If you are submitting more than a total of 30 PAP applications for a large group, you are strongly requested to submit the applications by post, not by emails.
  • Include clearly the name of the group’s contact person, his/her phone number and his/her email address so that the Bureau of His Holiness the Dalai Lama can acknowledge receipt of the applications.

Send by email OR post to:

Bureau of His Holiness the Dalai Lama
10-B Ring Road, Lajpat Nagar IV
New Delhi – 110024
INDIA
Email: rehab@tibetbureau.in
Phone: +91-11-26474798 or 26218546 or 26218548 (then press 1 for English, then 3 for PAP section)

Once processed, your PAP will be sent to you via email attachment.

For any questions about your PAP application status (confirmation of receipt, processing status, etc.) please contact the above email or phone number. Regrettably, the Jangchup Lamrim Teaching Organizing Committee is not able to answer these status questions.

While in Sera/Bylakuppe, you must keep your PAP with you at all times to show the local authorities when you are asked for it.

PAP Recommendation Letter

If you are requesting a PAP only to visit Sera during the time of His Holiness’ Jangchup Lamrim Teachings, you do NOT need to send a recommendation letter with your PAP application.

If your PAP application lists additional settlement areas (more than Sera), or if you are requesting extended dates beyond December 2013 – January 2014, then you must also send a recommendation letter to the Bureau of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

This recommendation letter is from someone you know at one of the monasteries or settlement offices and should be on the letterhead of the Tibetan Settlement Officer (of the settlement you plan to visit) or from an administrator of the monastery (a khangtsen, labrang, etc.) you wish to visit.

The text can be very simple, such as: To Whom It May Concern: We are writing to inform you that the ________ Labrang/Khangtsen of ________ Monastery is hereby recommending ________(your name and your passport number) to visit the Tibetan settlement of ________ for the period of ________ (your dates). We would be very grateful if you could provide them with all possible assistance.

Even if you apply for a PAP for several different settlements, you do not need a recommendation letter from each monastery/settlement you plan to visit. You only need to submit one recommendation letter from one monastery/settlement.

The Jangchup Lamrim Teaching Organizing Committee regrets that it is not able to offer recommendation letters to the large number of teaching attendees.