This tool provides estimates for educational purposes only. We are not accredited by the Department of Veterans Affairs and do not file claims, provide legal advice, or represent veterans before the VA (38 U.S.C. § 5904). For official assistance, contact a VSO, CVSO, or VA-accredited attorney.
Burial & Memorial Benefits
Based on Burial and memorial benefit authority at 38 U.S.C. Chapter 23, national cemetery rules at 38 CFR Part 38, and current application procedures published by the National Cemetery Administration. This page is a free community resource. We are not VA-accredited and do not file claims or provide legal advice (per 38 U.S.C. § 5904).
Last reviewed: April 2026 · Next review: October 2026
Maintained by: Veterans Benefits Navigator editorial team. Every citation links to a primary federal or state source. See editorial standards and our privacy posture.
Primary sources: 38 U.S.C. Chapter 23 (Burial benefits), 38 CFR Part 38 (National cemeteries), VA.gov burials & memorials
An overview of the VA burial and memorial benefits that may be available to eligible veterans and their families, organized around the questions most families ask after a death or when planning ahead[src].
What VA burial & memorial benefits are
VA burial and memorial benefits are a group of services and reimbursements that recognize a veteran's service at the end of life. The statutory framework sits at 38 U.S.C. Chapter 23[src] (burial benefits generally) and 38 U.S.C. § 2402[src] (national cemetery eligibility), with current rules at 38 CFR Part 38[src]. Benefits are administered by two different parts of VA: the National Cemetery Administration (NCA) handles cemetery interment, headstones and markers, medallions, and the Presidential Memorial Certificate, while the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) handles burial allowance and plot or interment reimbursements.
Who may be eligible
Eligibility depends on the benefit. Most burial and memorial benefits require a qualifying period of active service and a character of discharge other than dishonorable, as set out at 38 U.S.C. § 2402[src].
Veterans
A veteran who served the required period of active duty and whose discharge was under conditions other than dishonorable may be eligible for burial in a VA national cemetery, a government- furnished headstone or marker, a burial flag, and a Presidential Memorial Certificate. Reservists and National Guard members who died while on federal active duty or training, or who completed the required service for retired pay, may also be eligible under the same section.
Spouses and dependents
A veteran's spouse, surviving spouse, and certain dependent children may be eligible for interment in a VA national cemetery alongside the veteran, with no separate service requirement. A surviving spouse who remarried may still retain cemetery eligibility under the rules published at cem.va.gov[src]; the details are fact-specific and are the kind of question a VSO or the National Cemetery Scheduling Office can confirm for a particular family.
Pre-need eligibility determination
A veteran or family member can ask VA to determine national cemetery eligibility in advance by filing VA Form 40-10007[src]. A pre-need determination does not reserve a specific plot, but it does allow NCA to confirm eligibility while the veteran is still living, which can remove a major step during a difficult time.
What benefits may be available
Headstone, marker, or medallion. VA may furnish a government headstone or marker for the unmarked grave of an eligible veteran in any cemetery worldwide, and a bronze medallion to affix to an existing privately purchased headstone in a private cemetery. Applications are made on VA Form 40-1330[src], typically filed by the next of kin or a funeral director on the family's behalf.
Burial in a VA national cemetery.Interment, opening and closing of the grave, a government headstone or marker, a burial flag, and perpetual care may be provided at no cost to the family for an eligible veteran. Scheduling is handled by the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117; funeral directors can initiate the request on the family's behalf.
Burial allowance. VBA may reimburse a portion of burial and funeral costs. Reimbursement rates differ for service-connected deaths and non-service-connected deaths, and additional amounts may apply when death occurs in a VA facility or under VA contract care. The controlling regulation and current amounts are published at 38 CFR § 3.1710[src], and claims are filed on VA Form 21P-530EZ[src].
Plot or interment allowance. When burial takes place in a cemetery other than a national cemetery, a separate plot or interment allowance may be payable in addition to the burial allowance, subject to the rules at 38 CFR § 3.1708.
Presidential Memorial Certificate (PMC). A PMC is an engraved paper certificate signed by the sitting President that honors the memory of an eligible deceased veteran. Family members, friends, or a funeral director may request one, and there is no limit on the number of certificates that may be issued per eligible veteran.
Burial flag.A United States flag may be furnished to drape the casket or accompany the urn of an eligible veteran, then presented to the next of kin. The flag is requested on VA Form 27-2008, which most funeral directors keep on hand and file on the family's behalf, or which may be filed at any VA regional office.
Military funeral honors. Military funeral honors, including the folding and presentation of the flag and the playing of Taps, are administered by the Department of Defense rather than VA, and are requested through the funeral director under 10 U.S.C. § 1491[src]. The question comes up in the same conversation as VA benefits, so it is worth knowing that the two tracks are separate requests handled by different agencies.
How to apply
For interment in a national cemetery, the funeral director generally contacts the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117, which confirms eligibility and schedules the committal. A DD-214 or equivalent service document is the primary evidence of service; a pre-need determination letter, if one was issued, can be supplied in place of rebuilding the eligibility record. Headstone or marker applications use VA Form 40-1330[src], and burial allowance claims use VA Form 21P-530EZ[src]. Pre-need eligibility determinations use VA Form 40-10007[src]. All current forms and mailing instructions are published at VA.gov/burials-memorials[src].
What families frequently miss
Pre-need eligibility determination. Filing VA Form 40-10007[src] before death spares the family from having to assemble the service record during grief. The determination letter is kept with the estate papers and handed to the funeral director when the time comes.
The 2-year rule on burial allowance. Reimbursement claims for a non-service-connected death generally must be filed within two years of the veteran's permanent burial or cremation, as set out at 38 CFR § 3.1703[src]. Claims based on a service-connected death are not subject to the same time limit.
Spouse eligibility can survive a terminated remarriage. A surviving spouse who remarried and whose later marriage ended by death, divorce, or annulment may still be eligible for national cemetery interment with the veteran. The specific rule is fact-dependent; the National Cemetery Scheduling Office or a VSO can confirm.
Other Than Honorable and bad-paper discharges. Burial eligibility is not a simple yes or no for every discharge characterization. A character-of-discharge review under 38 CFR § 3.12[src] may determine that service was under conditions other than dishonorable for VA purposes, which in turn may open burial benefits. A VSO or CVSO can help request that review.
State veterans cemeteries. Many states operate their own veterans cemeteries, separate from the national cemetery system, sometimes with different eligibility rules and sometimes serving areas that the national system does not reach. A state veterans affairs office can describe what is available locally.
Where to get help
For national cemetery scheduling, the National Cemetery Scheduling Office is reachable at 800-535-1117. General burial and memorial information is published at cem.va.gov[src] and VA.gov/burials-memorials[src]. A VA-accredited Veterans Service Officer (VSO) or County Veterans Service Officer (CVSO) can help the family assemble documents, request a character-of-discharge review if needed, and file the burial allowance claim at no cost. Funeral directors routinely act as intermediaries for headstone, flag, and scheduling requests, and generally keep the relevant VA forms on hand.
This site is not VA-accredited and cannot file claims, provide legal advice, or represent veterans before the VA. The information above is educational.