Applying for a PAP

(Protected Area Permit - for non-Indian citizens)

Sera is located in a Tibetan refugee settlement in Bylakuppe, Karnataka, India. This settlement is considered a protected area. Due to policy of the Indian government, anyone who is not a citizen of India, Nepal, or Bhutan must have special permission to visit these protected Tibetan settlements. Please apply for your PAP at least 3 months before any intended visit to Sera.

There is no fee to apply for a PAP. Follow the instructions below to apply.

Step 1: Visit https://papvt.mha.gov.in/

Clicking the above link will open a new tab.

Step 2: Click “Apply Online” in the navigation bar at the top of the page

This will bring you to the application form.

Step 3: Fill in the application with your details

Most of the application asks for your own information. For the “Reference Details” section of the application, you may use the following reference:

Thabkhe Lodroe

H. 75 Sera Jey Monastery, Bylakuppe

9591347216

For the “Visiting Details” section, select both of the first two options in the drop-down menu (Lungsung Samdupling Tibetan Settlement and Dickyi Larsoe Tibetan Settlement). If you intend to visit other Tibetan areas in south India, please select those (i.e., Gyuto Monastery is in Hunsur, Drepung and Ganden Monasteries are in Mundgod).

Step 4: Double check the duration of your visit

You may apply for up to one year validity for a single PAP. However, if you select a start date in 2025 (i.e., February 1, 2025) and the same date in 2026 (i.e., February 1, 2026), that will actually be more than 365 days and your PAP will be denied. Please select an earlier date, by at least a few days.

Step 5: Submit application

After you’ve submitted your application, please wait patiently. They can be processed in as little as two weeks, or as long as three months.

Step 6: Inform us of your submission

Once you’ve submitted the application, please send an email to nalandadebateschool@gmail.com informing us that your application has been submitted and give us your name as you wrote it on the application.