How to Contact the Office of the Dalai Lama or Request an Audience or Invitation

dalailama.com is the official website of the Office of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, and it is the correct starting point for contact and audience requests. The site's navigation includes a Contact entry alongside dedicated sections for Public Audiences, Private Audiences, Media Interviews, and Invitations. Use those sections to identify which category fits your situation before sending anything; the site itself does not publish a general email address, phone number, or application form in the material available here, so the practical first step is to open the Contact page and follow the instructions it provides.

What each contact category covers

The site separates requests by purpose, which tells you where to begin:

Choosing the right section matters: a media request sent through the audience route, or an invitation routed as a private audience request, is likely to be handled as the wrong type of inquiry.

How to prepare a request

Because the site does not publish a form or a checklist in the available material, prepare the essentials yourself so the Office can act on your message:

1. State the category clearly in your subject line — public audience, private audience, media interview, or invitation.
2. Identify yourself with full name, organization (if any), and a reliable reply address.
3. Give dates and location for any proposed event or visit, plus alternatives if timing is flexible.
4. Explain the purpose in a short paragraph: who is involved, why the request is being made, and what you are asking for.
5. Keep attachments minimal and describe them in the body of the message.

Expected result: a message the Office can route to the right desk without a follow-up exchange. A common sticking point is sending a long, general inquiry that mixes several purposes — split such requests so each one matches a single section.

Checking schedules and public events first

Before requesting an audience, check whether your need is already met by a public event. The site publishes a Schedule section and a Teachings section, including practical advice for attending teachings in India. If you plan to travel to Dharamsala for a teaching, the published schedule and attendance guidance are the relevant resources, not an audience request. The site also carries Live Webcasts and Videos, so some events can be followed remotely without any contact at all.

What the site does not provide

The available material does not list a public email address, telephone number, postal address, response time, or fee for any audience or invitation. Do not assume a request is free, guaranteed, or answered within a set period — none of that is stated. Treat any third-party site claiming to submit requests on your behalf with caution; the official Contact section is the authoritative route.

Practical sequence

• Read the Contact page and the audience or invitation section that matches your purpose.
• Confirm from the Schedule and Teachings pages whether a public event already covers your interest.
• Prepare a short, single-purpose message with dates, identity, and purpose.
• Send it through the channel the Contact page specifies, and keep a copy for follow-up.

If you are unsure which category applies, describe your situation in one sentence and let the Contact page's guidance determine the route rather than sending the same request to several sections at once.