Veterans and Families
Plan Today.
Honor Forever.
Eligible Veterans have earned VA burial and memorial benefits for themselves, their spouses, and qualifying family members. Whether you choose burial in a VA national cemetery or a private cemetery your family has used for generations, these benefits play an important role in your end-of-life planning.
Starting a conversation with your loved ones can be hard, but planning in advance can save you and your family thousands of dollars, reduce your family's stress at a difficult time, and ensure you receive the honor and remembrance you deserve.
Veteran burial benefits at a VA national cemetery or VA grant-funded cemetery include:
Burial site
Burial of a casket or urn
Government headstone or marker
Perpetual care of the burial site and cemetery grounds
United States burial flag
Presidential Memorial Certificates
Veterans Legacy Memorial (VLM) profile page
Military funeral honors
(provided by the Military Services)
Explore these end-of-life planning resources to help you and your family plan ahead:
Pre-need Burial Eligibility
Veterans and spouses who want to be buried in a VA national cemetery can apply to find out in advance if they are eligible. Completing the simple, online pre-need burial eligibility application is the starting point in end-of-life planning. It takes less than 10 minutes to fill out and could save your family thousands of dollars in burial costs.
Complete your pre-need burial eligibility application now
For pre-need burial eligibility questions, call the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117 (TTY: 711) and select 4, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET.
Veterans Legacy Memorial (VLM)
VA's Veterans Legacy Memorial (VLM) is the nation's largest digital platform dedicated to the memory of more than 10 million Veterans, and makes it easy to share, remember, and connect. Family, friends, and the public can search for Veterans, leave tributes, and preserve memories for future generations.
With VLM's new Living Veterans feature, you can share your own stories, photos, military timelines, and historical documents. After your passing, if you are interred in a VA national or state, tribal or territorial Veterans cemetery, or if you receive a VA headstone or other memorial benefit, the content you submit will appear on your publicly visible Veterans Memorial page.
The Living Veterans feature is available to Veterans who have completed the pre-need burial eligibility application and been approved. Apply today and begin saving your story for future generations.
Learn more about the Living Veterans feature
Key Facts About VA National Cemeteries
Cemeteries offer traditional in-ground burial, cremation, and green burial options (at select locations)
There are 157 VA national cemeteries and 35 soldiers' lots and monument sites
VA maintains more than 4 million graves
VA funds 124 state, territorial and tribal Veterans cemeteries in 47 states and 3 territories
Resources for Veterans and Families
Below are a variety of resources to help you and your family learn more about VA's burial and memorial benefits so you can plan ahead with confidence.
You'll find materials that you can easily download, print, and share to better understand these benefits and the pre-need burial eligibility application process.
Videos
Infosheets
A Guide to Your VA Burial and Memorial Benefits Infosheet
This is an introductory infosheet about VA burial and memorial benefits, burial options, and the Veterans Legacy Memorial (VLM) platform.
Burial Benefits at VA National Cemeteries Infosheet
This infosheet includes information about VA burial benefits at VA national cemeteries for eligible Veterans, their spouses, and qualifying family members.
Burial Benefits at VA Grant-Funded Cemeteries Infosheet
This infosheet provides information about VA burial benefits available to eligible Veterans at state, territorial, and tribal cemeteries funded by VA grants.
Your Guide to Completing VA's Pre-need Burial Eligibility Application
This infosheet provides step-by-step instructions for preparing and completing VA's pre-need burial eligibility application.
Native American Veterans: Your VA Burial Benefits at a Glance Infosheet
This infosheet provides an overview of VA's burial benefits, highlights burial benefit options for honoring Native American heritage, and includes information on tribal cemeteries.
Memorial Benefits at Private Cemeteries Infosheet
This infosheet highlights VA memorial benefits available at private cemeteries for eligible Veterans, including headstones, burial flags, and more.
Flyers
Planning and Scheduling a Burial at a VA National Cemetery Flyer
This introductory flyer explains how to arrange a burial in a VA national cemetery.
VA Burial Benefits: Planning in Advance Flyer
This is a promotional flyer to encourage those interested in burial in a VA national cemetery to complete the pre-need burial eligibility application.
Cremation Burial at VA National Cemeteries Flyer
This flyer highlights burial benefits and cremation burial options for Veterans at VA national cemeteries.
This flyer describes how VA has expanded access to Veterans cemeteries ensuring Veterans and their families have more dignified burial options nationwide.
