Burial Benefits

The Department of Veterans Affairs and the National Cemetery Administration provide a variety of benefits to deceased veterans and their families in the time of need.  For burial in a National Cemetery, these benefits include a gravesite at any of the 131 national cemeteries with available space, opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care, a headstone or marker, a burial flag, and a Presidential Memorial Certificate, at no cost to the family.  For burial in a private cemetery, benefits available include a Government headstone or marker, a burial flag, and a Presidential Memorial Certificate, at no cost to the family.  Some veterans may also be eligible for Burial Allowances.  There are not any benefits available to spouses and dependents buried in a private cemetery.

• Eligibility
• List of the 131 National Cemeteries
• Preparing in Advance
• How to Make Burial Arrangements in a National Cemetery at the Time of Need
• Military Funeral Honors – Typically arranged by the funeral director or funeral home.
• Headstones & Markers – Resource page with information on eligibility, including recent legislative changes to eligibility criteria, as well as information on how to order, emblems of belief, and other resources.
• Burial Flags
• Donating Burial Flags to National Cemeteries
• Burial Allowance Benefits
• Burial in a Private Cemetery
• Burial at Sea – Not provided by the National Cemetery Administration.  For assistance with the Burial at Sea program, please contact the United States Navy Mortuary Affairs office toll-free at 1-866-787-0081.
• Presidential Memorial Certificate
• Burial of Unclaimed, Indigent Veterans