VA Burial & Memorial Benefits—Made Easier.
Clear guidance, official VA applications, and free WRRF assistance for Veterans, surviving spouses, and families.
Tell us where you are in the process.
Planning in advance and responding after a death require different steps. Choose the path that matches your situation.
Plan Ahead
Confirm burial eligibility now so your family has fewer decisions and less paperwork during a future time of grief.
- Apply for a pre-need eligibility determination.
- Locate the Veteran's DD Form 214 or discharge record.
- Document burial and memorial preferences.
- Store the eligibility decision where family can find it.
A Veteran Has Died
Begin with the Veteran's discharge record and speak with an accredited Veterans Service Officer to help ensure every available death and burial benefit is identified and filed.
- Locate the DD Form 214 or other proof of service.
- Review burial-location eligibility and memorial benefits.
- Request military funeral honors and a burial flag.
- Apply for allowances, certificates, and memorial items.
- Keep copies of receipts, applications, and supporting records.
Consult an accredited Veterans Service Officer.
A funeral provider may assist with portions of the burial process, but families should not assume every available VA death, burial, transportation, memorial, or survivor benefit has been identified or filed.
An accredited Veterans Service Organization representative can review the Veteran's circumstances, explain available benefits, and help prepare VA benefit claims at no charge.
Know what is available—and where to apply.
Use the official VA links below to review eligibility, apply online, or download the appropriate application.
Pre-Need Burial Eligibility
Find out in advance whether a Veteran, spouse, or eligible dependent may qualify for burial in a VA national cemetery.
VA Form 40-10007Burial Flag
Request a United States flag to drape a casket or accompany an urn in recognition of an eligible Veteran's military service.
VA Form 27-2008Military Funeral Honors
Learn how to request the folding and presentation of the flag, the playing of Taps, and other eligible military honors.
Proof of Military Service Usually RequiredPresidential Memorial Certificate
Request an engraved certificate signed by the current President honoring the military service of an eligible deceased Veteran.
VA Form 40-0247Burial & Transportation Allowance
Eligible claimants may receive reimbursement for certain burial, funeral, plot, interment, and transportation expenses.
Keep Receipts and Proof of PaymentHeadstone, Marker, or Medallion
Apply for an eligible government-furnished headstone, marker, niche cover, or medallion for a Veteran's gravesite.
VA Forms 40-1330 and 40-1330MVeterans Legacy Memorial
Search the VA's national digital memorial platform and preserve photographs, documents, tributes, and a Veteran's life story.
National Digital MemorialFind a VA Cemetery
Search national, state, tribal, territorial, and other eligible Veterans cemeteries by location.
Cemetery LocatorAll Burial & Memorial Benefits
Review eligibility, burial options, memorial items, allowances, survivor information, and official VA guidance in one place.
Official VA Resource CenterWRRF will help you understand and submit the paperwork.
Our volunteer team provides no-cost assistance with death and burial benefit applications, supporting documents, military records, grave-marker requests, memorial certificates, and Veterans Legacy Memorial pages.
WRRF also provides free fax services for all VA death and burial benefit applications, including supporting documents and records.
Watch. Learn. Plan with confidence.
These official National Cemetery Administration resources provide additional guidance for Veterans and families planning burial and memorial benefits.
Plan Today. Honor Forever.
Explore official NCA outreach videos and resources about planning burial and memorial benefits in advance.
View VA Planning ResourcesNCA Video Library
View official National Cemetery Administration videos covering benefits, history, remembrance, and Veterans cemeteries.
Browse NCA VideosVeterans Legacy Program
Discover educational videos that preserve the stories of Veterans and connect future generations to their service.
View Legacy VideosPlanning ahead is an act of service to your family.
These National Cemetery Administration outreach stories highlight why Veterans and families choose VA national cemeteries and prepare before the time of need.
Make your wishes known before your family must decide.
Pre-need planning gives Veterans an opportunity to document their preferences, confirm eligibility, and reduce uncertainty for loved ones.
Keep the DD Form 214 and eligibility decision accessible.
Important military and eligibility documents should be stored where a spouse, child, or designated representative can locate them quickly.
Understand the honors and memorial items available.
Burial flags, military funeral honors, memorial certificates, and government memorial items are separate benefits that may require separate requests.
A national cemetery provides a permanent place of honor.
Eligibility may include burial in an available VA national cemetery, perpetual care, and an appropriate government memorial item.
Planning now can reduce difficult decisions later.
A written plan gives families clear direction and helps them understand what the Veteran wanted and which benefits may be available.
Service deserves permanent recognition.
Whether a Veteran rests in a national cemetery or a local community cemetery, their service should remain visible, documented, and remembered.
Protect the marker. Preserve the story.
The nation's responsibility to remember a Veteran does not end when the burial service concludes.
Veterans Legacy Memorial
VLM provides a permanent digital memorial where family members, friends, and the public can contribute photographs, tributes, documents, biographical information, and service history.
WRRF can help families locate a Veteran's memorial page and prepare appropriate legacy materials for submission.
Cemetery Preservation Guidance
Government-issued Veteran grave markers are the nation's final tribute to those who served. Proper cleaning and preservation protects the marker, inscription, and historical record.
Families, cemetery associations, churches, municipalities, and volunteers should follow approved preservation standards rather than using household chemicals, pressure washing, or damaging tools.