Fewer than a quarter of all Veterans and their families take advantage of Veterans burial benefits offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The VA National Cemetery Administration maintains 156 national cemeteries in 42 states providing Veterans and their eligible family members a final resting place that honors their service to our nation. Your VA burial benefits entitle you to be buried in one of these locations, and in other locations looking to be expanded or acquired.
VA burial benefits cover a gravesite in any of the VA national cemetery with available space, opening and closing of the grave, government headstone, marker, or medallion, perpetual care of the gravesite, burial flag, and Presidential Memorial Certificate. Some eligible Veterans may be entitled for a burial allowance, as well. This is why it’s important to understand what memorial benefits you’re entitled to as a Veteran.
Are You Eligible for Burial in a VA National Cemetery?
According to va.gov, military Veterans, servicemembers, spouses, and dependents may be eligible for burial in a national cemetery if they meet at least one of the following requirements:
- Veteran did not receive a dishonorable discharge.
- Servicemember died while on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty for training.
- Spouse or surviving spouse of a Veteran (even if they remarried after the Veteran’s death).
- Minor child of a Veteran (even if the Veteran died first) or, in some cases, the unmarried adult dependent child of a Veteran.
Veterans and eligible dependents should determine their eligibility for burial in a VA national cemetery in advance through certification known as “pre-need eligibility determination.” To begin your certification, complete the Application for Pre-Need Determination of Eligibility for Burial in a VA National Cemetery. You must submit VA Form 40-10007 with a copy of your DD-214 or other separation documents to complete the application. Spousal applications must include a copy of the marriage certificate. If you do not have your discharge papers, you can request a DD-214 through the National Archives.
Burial at VA and Private Cemeteries
Be sure to discuss end-of-life planning with your family so that they know where you wish to be laid to rest. You can search for space availability at a preferred national cemetery by visiting cem.va.gov and clicking on “Find a Cemetery”. Although you cannot reserve a particular space for a burial plot, you can select a specific cemetery if there is space available.
Survivors could be entitled to receive a burial allowance of up to $978 toward burial and funeral expenses for non-service-connected deaths on or after October 1, 2024, and a $978 plot-interment allowance if the Veteran is buried in a private cemetery. If the Veteran’s death is service-connected, the burial allowance available is up to $2,000, with some transportation costs if buried in a national cemetery.
VA burial benefits must be applied for through the VA and the claimant will need a funeral home invoice with a $0 balance. Learn more about the burial benefits available to a Veteran buried in a private cemetery.
Arlington National Cemetery is a Department of the Army cemetery and not a VA National Cemetery. Information about eligibility, planning a funeral and more can be found at arlingtoncemetery.mil.
AAFMAA Can Help
The National Cemetery Administration has online resources for families who would like more information about VA burial benefits and how NCA assists families with burial. You can also email an AAFMAA Member Benefits Coordinator at [email protected], or call 800-522-52211, select option 2, then option 2 again.
The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement. Photo by Elizabeth Fraser, Army. Marines conduct military funeral honors with funeral escort for 29th Commandant of the Marine Corps Retired Gen. Alfred Gray, Jr. in Section 35 of Arlington National Cemetery, Va., July 29, 2024.