National Cemetery Burial Eligibility: Who Qualifies and How to Apply

A veteran who did not leave the service under dishonorable conditions can generally be buried in a VA national cemetery. So can the veteran's spouse or surviving spouse and eligible children. Burial includes the gravesite, opening and closing, perpetual care and a government headstone or marker at no charge. To schedule one, call the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117 and send the discharge papers.

Who is eligible for burial in a VA national cemetery?

The VA says at least one of these must apply:

• The person is a veteran without a dishonorable discharge.
• The person died on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training.
• The person is the spouse or surviving spouse of an eligible veteran.
• The person is the minor child of an eligible veteran, or in some cases an unmarried adult child.

Other groups have their own rules. They include reservists and National Guard members, ROTC members, World War II merchant mariners with ocean-going service between December 7, 1941 and December 31, 1945, commissioned officers of the Public Health Service and NOAA, certain Philippine and Hmong veterans, and some allied-forces veterans who were U.S. citizens. The details depend on dates and citizenship, so ask the VA about these.

How long must the veteran have served?

Enlisted people who joined after September 7, 1980, and officers who started active duty after October 16, 1981, generally need 24 months of continuous active duty, or the full period they were called to active duty if that was shorter. Exceptions apply, including hardship or early-out discharges, discharge for a service-connected disability, and a compensable service-connected disability.

What about discharge type?

The VA lists dishonorable discharges and bad conduct discharges as disqualifying. It says veterans with certain other-than-honorable discharges may not be eligible, and that a character-of-service review or a discharge upgrade may help. If the paperwork is unclear, ask the VA before assuming either way. Our guide to burial with an honorable discharge and other discharge types goes into more detail.

National Guard and Reserve members

The VA says reservists and Guard members can qualify if they met the active-duty requirement, are entitled to retired pay (or would be at age 60), or died or were disabled from a service-connected injury or illness in training.

Which family members are eligible?

• Spouses and surviving spouses of eligible veterans, even if they remarried after the veteran died.
• Minor children, meaning unmarried and under 21, or under 23 if in full-time approved education.
• Unmarried adult children who became permanently disabled before age 21 (or 23 if in school).
• Certain parents of service members killed by hostile action or in training, when the VA finds there is space. This is a narrow rule.

Former spouses are not eligible through a divorce unless they are veterans in their own right. Family members also lose eligibility if the veteran was convicted of certain subversive activities after 1959, unless pardoned. In most cases, the VA provides one gravesite and one headstone for all eligible family members. Our guide to spouse and joint burial explains how shared gravesites work.

Who is not eligible?

Besides the discharge rules above, the VA says these people are not eligible:

• Former spouses (unless they are veterans themselves)
• People who were drafted but never entered service
• People convicted of a capital crime, or of a Tier III sex offense with a sentence of life imprisonment
• People convicted of subversive activities after September 1, 1959 (unless pardoned)

What does a national cemetery burial include?

The National Cemetery Administration lists these as free for an eligible veteran:

• A gravesite in any national cemetery with space
• Opening and closing of the grave, and perpetual care
• A government headstone, marker or medallion
• A burial flag and a Presidential Memorial Certificate
• Cremated remains treated with the same honors as a casketed burial

Spouses and dependents buried with the veteran also get perpetual care and name inscriptions on the veteran's headstone at no charge. The family arranges and pays for the funeral home or cremation provider. Learn more about VA headstones and markers and the Presidential Memorial Certificate. For the ceremony, see military funeral honors.

How to schedule a burial (at need)

1. Gather documents. You need the DD214 or other discharge papers, the death certificate, the deceased's Social Security or service number, proof of your relationship, and next-of-kin contact details.
2. Call the scheduling office. The National Cemetery Scheduling Office is at 800-535-1117 (TTY 711). You can also fax or email the discharge papers (fax 866-900-6417, NCA.Scheduling@va.gov). The VA says it can locate the records if you can't find them.
3. Pick the details. Choose the cemetery, casket or cremation, and memorial item.
4. Coordinate with your funeral director. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday, and the scheduling office is closed on major federal holidays.

A funeral director can do most of this for you, and often does.

Can you check eligibility before a death? (Pre-need)

Yes. A veteran or eligible family member can apply for a pre-need eligibility determination online or with VA Form 40-10007. You get a decision letter that the family can hand to the funeral director. It confirms eligibility but does not reserve a gravesite, and the VA says it cannot guarantee burial in your preferred cemetery. It does save the family from hunting for papers during a hard week.

What are your options besides a VA national cemetery?

• State and tribal veterans cemeteries. These are built with VA grants and run by the state or tribe, which sets fees and some rules. The VA says its grant program has funded 125 cemeteries. See state veterans cemeteries.
• Arlington National Cemetery. It is run by the Army, with its own eligibility rules. See Arlington eligibility.
• A private or religious cemetery. The VA can still provide a headstone, marker or medallion, but the family pays for the plot and cemetery fees. See planning a veteran's plot.

The VA lists 158 VA-managed cemeteries and 125 grant-funded ones. Use its cemetery locator to see which are open for the type of burial you need. For cremation, see veteran cremation benefits.

What to do next

1. Find the DD214, or ask the scheduling office to look for it.
2. Call 800-535-1117, or ask your funeral director to.
3. Decide whether you also want military honors, and ask in the same call.
4. Keep receipts. The VA burial allowance reimburses some costs.