When a veteran dies, the VA pays for burial in a national cemetery at no cost to the family, or pays cash allowances toward a private burial that currently reach up to $2,000 for a service-connected death and up to $2,004 combined (burial plus plot) for a non-service-connected death. On top of that, the VA provides a headstone or marker, a burial flag, a Presidential Memorial Certificate, and military funeral honors, and it may reimburse transportation of the remains in specific situations. What the VA does not do is pay a burial allowance for a spouse or dependent, or cover funeral home service fees beyond the allowance amounts.
Free Burial in a National Cemetery
This is the largest benefit by dollar value, and the one families most often overlook. Burial in a VA national cemetery includes the gravesite itself, opening and closing of the grave, a government headstone or marker, an outer burial container for casketed remains, and perpetual care, all at no charge.1National Cemetery Administration. Burial and Memorial Benefits A burial flag and Presidential Memorial Certificate come with it automatically.2U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Presidential Memorial Certificates
A private plot, opening and closing fees, and a headstone can easily run several thousand dollars. National cemetery burial eliminates all of that. What the family still pays for is the funeral home’s services and, in most cases, transportation of the remains to the cemetery.
Cash Allowances for Private Cemetery Burial
If the veteran is buried in a private cemetery instead, the VA pays a cash allowance. The amount turns on whether the death was connected to military service.
Service-Connected Death
For a veteran who died from a service-connected disability on or after September 11, 2001, the VA pays up to $2,000 toward burial and funeral expenses.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 38 – 2307 Death from Service-Connected Disability That figure is set by statute and has not changed since 2001. There is no separate plot allowance in a service-connected case; the $2,000 is meant to cover all burial-related costs.
Non-Service-Connected Death
When the death was not connected to service, the VA pays a burial allowance and a separate plot allowance, both adjusted every October 1. For deaths on or after October 1, 2025, the burial allowance is up to $1,002 and the plot allowance is up to $1,002, for a combined maximum of $2,004.4U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Veterans Burial Allowance and Transportation Benefits The plot allowance is available only when the veteran is not buried on government-owned land, and it helps cover the cost of buying a gravesite or paying opening and closing fees at a private cemetery.
Transportation of the Remains
The VA will reimburse the reasonable cost of transporting a veteran’s remains to a national cemetery in two situations: the veteran died from a service-connected disability, or the veteran died outside a U.S. state.5eCFR. 38 CFR 3.1709 – Transportation Expenses for Burial Covered costs include shipping by common carrier, the shipping container, sealing, and transport to the burial site. The reimbursement is capped at what it would cost to ship the remains to the closest national cemetery with available space.
Keep itemized receipts. The VA does not set a fixed dollar amount for this benefit; it pays what is “usual and customary” for the services when charged to the general public.5eCFR. 38 CFR 3.1709 – Transportation Expenses for Burial
Headstone, Marker, or Medallion
The VA furnishes a headstone or grave marker at no cost for any eligible veteran, whether the burial is in a national, state, or private cemetery. Options include upright granite or marble headstones, flat markers in granite, marble, or bronze, and smaller bronze niche markers for remains in a columbarium.6National Cemetery Administration. Types of Headstones, Markers, and Medallions The style has to be compatible with the cemetery’s rules.
If the veteran already has a privately purchased headstone, the family can request a bronze medallion to attach to it instead of a separate government marker. The medallions come in three sizes and carry the word “VETERAN” along with the branch of service. A Medal of Honor medallion is available for recipients of that decoration. The cemetery has to approve the medallion size, and the request goes on VA Form 40-1330M.7Veterans Affairs. Medallions
For national cemetery burials, the VA also provides an outer burial receptacle (graveliner or vault) for casketed remains.8eCFR. 38 CFR 38.629 – Outer Burial Receptacles
Burial Flag, Certificate, and Military Honors
The VA provides a U.S. flag to drape the casket or accompany the urn. After the service, the flag is given to the veteran’s next of kin. If no next of kin claims it, a close friend or associate may request it.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 38 – 2301 Flags
A Presidential Memorial Certificate is an engraved paper certificate signed by the sitting President. For a national cemetery burial, the VA presents one automatically. For burials elsewhere, family members and close friends can request one using VA Form 40-0247, and multiple copies are allowed.2U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Presidential Memorial Certificates
Federal law requires the Department of Defense to provide a funeral honors detail on request for any eligible veteran. The detail must include at least two armed forces members, and it must fold and present the flag and play Taps. If a live bugler is not available, a recorded version is played.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 10 – 1491 Funeral Honors Functions at Funerals for Veterans The funeral director makes the request; the family does not need to contact the military directly. Give the funeral home at least 48 hours of notice when possible.
What Spouses and Dependents Get
Eligible spouses, surviving spouses, minor children, and certain unmarried adult dependent children may be buried in a national cemetery alongside or near the veteran at no additional cost for the gravesite.11Veterans Affairs. Eligibility for Burial in a VA National Cemetery A surviving spouse keeps that eligibility even after remarrying. A former spouse whose marriage ended in divorce or annulment is not eligible unless they qualify independently as a veteran.
Two limits matter. The VA does not provide a separate government headstone for a spouse or dependent buried in a private cemetery, though it can add an inscription with the spouse’s or dependent’s name and dates to the veteran’s existing government marker.12Veterans Affairs. Burial in a Private Cemetery And the VA does not pay a burial allowance when a spouse or dependent dies.
Who Qualifies
The veteran must have been discharged under conditions other than dishonorable. Honorable, general, and under-honorable-conditions discharges all qualify. Other-than-honorable and bad conduct discharges are not automatic disqualifications; the VA makes its own eligibility determination separate from the military’s characterization of service.13Veterans Benefits Administration. Applying for Benefits and Your Character of Discharge
For the burial allowance specifically, one of the following usually has to be true:
- The veteran died from a service-connected disability.
- The veteran was receiving VA pension or disability compensation at the time of death, or was entitled to those payments but elected military retired pay instead.
- The veteran died while hospitalized by the VA or receiving VA-contracted care at a non-VA facility.
- The veteran died while traveling under VA authorization for an examination or treatment.
National cemetery burial and memorial items like headstones and flags have broader rules. Most veterans with other-than-dishonorable discharges qualify regardless of whether they were drawing VA compensation.
The Two-Year Deadline That Costs Families Money
For a non-service-connected death, the VA must receive the burial allowance claim within two years of the veteran’s burial.14eCFR. 38 CFR 3.1703 – Claims for Burial Benefits Miss it and the benefit is forfeited.
For a service-connected death, there is no filing deadline. Headstones, markers, flags, and national cemetery burial also have no time limit. The non-service-connected burial allowance is the one families most commonly file late, usually because they didn’t know it existed until well after the funeral. If you are reading this after a death, check the burial date and file now if you are still inside the two-year window.
How to File
The application for the burial allowance is VA Form 21P-530EZ. You can file it online at VA.gov, which takes roughly 30 minutes and requires identity verification through ID.me, or you can mail the PDF version to the Pension Management Center for your state.15U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Apply for Burial Benefits (VA Form 21P-530EZ) Online filers get a confirmation number for tracking. Mailed applications take longer, and the decision comes by letter.
Before you start, pull together:
- The veteran’s DD214 or other separation documents. If you don’t have a copy, you can request one from the National Personnel Records Center, but that takes time.
- The death certificate, which needs to show cause of death.
- Itemized receipts for burial and transportation costs from the funeral home, cemetery, and any transportation provider.
- The veteran’s date of birth, Social Security number or VA file number, and dates of service.15U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Apply for Burial Benefits (VA Form 21P-530EZ)
Free help is available from an accredited Veterans Service Organization. VSO representatives know the system and can help you avoid mistakes that hold up payment. The directory is at va.gov/vso, and state Departments of Veterans Affairs also assist with claims.16Veterans Benefits Administration. VA Form 21P-530EZ – Application for Burial Benefits
If the Death Was Service-Related, File for DIC Too
Burial benefits are not the only payment the VA makes when a veteran dies. Surviving spouses, children, and parents may qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, a tax-free monthly payment. DIC is available when the veteran died from a service-connected condition, died on active duty, or was receiving total disability compensation for a qualifying period before death.17U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. About VA DIC for Spouses, Dependents, and Parents DIC is a separate claim with its own eligibility rules, but many families who qualify for burial benefits also qualify for DIC. If the death was linked to service in any way, file for DIC after the burial paperwork is in.