If the person who died served in the military, there's real help available, and some of it costs the family nothing. The biggest piece is burial in a VA national cemetery. Even if you choose a private cemetery, you can still ask for a government headstone or medallion, a flag and military honors at the service.
What VA doesn't cover is the funeral home. The casket, the service and the funeral director's fees are the family's to pay, though a burial allowance may help with some of it.
Most of these benefits start with the same document: the veteran's DD214, or other discharge papers. Finding it early makes every step easier.
Burial in a VA national cemetery
Burial in a national cemetery includes these, at no cost to the family:
- a gravesite in any national cemetery with space
- opening and closing of the grave
- a burial liner
- a government headstone or marker
- perpetual (ongoing) care of the grave
Veterans, service members and Reservists also get a burial flag, a Presidential Memorial Certificate and military funeral honors. Cremated remains are buried with the same honors as a casket.
Who qualifies? A veteran who didn't receive a dishonorable discharge, a service member who died on active duty or in training, a spouse or surviving spouse (even one who remarried), and a minor child or, in some cases, an unmarried adult dependent child.
A spouse can be buried in the veteran's grave even if they die first, and their name and dates go on the veteran's headstone at no cost. Some groups have their own rules, and certain crimes disqualify a veteran.
To schedule a burial, you or the funeral director can call the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117. Have the DD214 ready. If you can't find it, say so on the call and they'll help, though checking eligibility may take several days. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.
Planning ahead: pre-need eligibility
You can ask VA now whether someone would be eligible later, whether that's you, a spouse or a dependent. It's called a pre-need determination, and you apply online or with VA Form 40-10007. It can't reserve a particular cemetery or gravesite, and in some cases VA may review eligibility again at the time of need. Once someone has died, this route closes and you schedule a burial instead. Arlington National Cemetery runs its own process.
Headstones, markers and medallions for private cemeteries
If the veteran is buried in a private cemetery, VA can provide a headstone or marker for an eligible veteran's unmarked grave anywhere in the world. Upright headstones come in granite or marble, flat markers in granite, marble or bronze. Apply with VA Form 40-1330.
If the grave already has a headstone the family bought, you can ask for a bronze medallion to attach to it instead (VA Form 40-1330M), for veterans who served on or after April 6, 1917.
Two things to know before you order:
- In a private cemetery, the family arranges and pays for setting the headstone. Check that the cemetery allows the style you want.
- Spouses and dependents buried in a private cemetery can't get their own VA headstone, though they may be able to have an inscription added to the veteran's.
VA also offers a commemorative urn or plaque. Choosing one is permanent. Once you've received it, the veteran can't be buried in a national cemetery, and VA can't provide a headstone, marker or medallion. Be sure before you ask for one.
The flag, the certificate and military honors
Burial flag
A flag drapes the casket or goes with the urn. Get it with VA Form 27-2008 through the funeral director, a VA regional office or a post office (call ahead). VA can't replace a flag that's lost or stolen.
Presidential Memorial Certificate
This is a certificate signed by the current president. Next of kin receive one automatically at a national cemetery burial. For a veteran buried elsewhere, family or close friends can apply with VA Form 40-0247, and VA accepts more than one request.
Military funeral honors
On the family's request, federal law requires honors for every eligible veteran. At minimum, an honor guard of at least two service members, one from the veteran's branch, plays Taps (by a bugler if one is available, or a ceremonial bugle) and folds and presents the flag to the next of kin.
The funeral director or a family representative requests it. VA suggests contacting the service branch at least 48 to 72 hours before the service. For help, call Military OneSource at 800-342-9647.
The VA burial allowance
VA may pay toward burial and funeral costs if you paid them and won't be reimbursed by anyone else. The veteran must not have had a dishonorable discharge, and one of several situations must apply, such as dying from a service-connected disability, dying while in VA care, or receiving VA pension or compensation at death.
These are the maximums on VA's burial allowance page as of its October 1, 2026 update:
| Situation | Burial allowance | Plot or interment allowance |
|---|---|---|
| Service-connected death, on or after Sept. 11, 2001 | up to $2,000 | Not listed |
| Service-connected death, before Sept. 11, 2001 | up to $1,500 | Not listed |
| Not service-connected, death on or after Oct. 1, 2026 | $1,032 | $1,032 |
| Not service-connected, death from Oct. 1, 2025 through Sept. 30, 2026 | $1,002 | $1,002 |
VA may also pay back the cost of moving the veteran's remains for burial in a national cemetery, with a receipt in your name. Benefits apply to every legal type of burial, including cremation, burial at sea and donation to a medical school.
You can apply online at VA.gov, or by mail with VA Form 21P-530EZ. Include the death certificate and, ideally, the DD214. A surviving spouse listed on the veteran's VA profile doesn't need to apply; VA pays a set amount automatically when it learns of the death.
For a death that wasn't service-connected, file within 2 years of the burial, with some exceptions. There's no time limit for a service-connected death.
Frequently asked questions
Does VA pay for the whole funeral?
No. A national cemetery provides the grave, liner, headstone and upkeep at no cost, but anything from the funeral home or crematory is the family's expense. The burial allowance, if you qualify, helps with part of it.
Can a spouse be buried in a national cemetery?
Yes, if they meet VA's rules. A spouse or surviving spouse can be buried with the veteran, even if they die first or remarried after the veteran's death. A former spouse whose marriage ended in divorce isn't eligible unless they're a veteran themselves.
What if we can't find the DD214?
Tell the National Cemetery Scheduling Office when you call; they can help, but it may take several days. You can also request the veteran's military records through VA.gov.
Are state veterans cemeteries the same?
Many states run their own veterans cemeteries with their own eligibility rules. Some may charge a small fee to set a government headstone. Contact the state cemetery directly.
Sources
- VA: Veterans Burial Allowance and Transportation Benefits
- VA: Eligibility for Burial in a VA National Cemetery
- VA: What Does Burial in a VA National Cemetery Include?
- VA: Schedule a Burial for a Veteran or Family Member
- VA: Pre-Need Eligibility for Burial in a VA Cemetery
- VA: Veterans Headstones and Markers
- VA: Government Headstones and Markers FAQs
- VA National Cemetery Administration: Burial and Memorial Benefits
- VA National Cemetery Administration: Headstones, Markers and Medallions
- VA: Burial Flags
- VA: Presidential Memorial Certificates
- VA National Cemetery Administration: Military Funeral Honors
- FTC: Buying a Cemetery Site