The VA provides national cemetery burial, headstones, burial flags, and burial allowances. Here is what is covered in 2026, the current amounts, filing deadlines, and how to plan ahead.
VA burial benefits help cover the cost of a veteran's funeral, burial, and memorial, and they fall into two broad groups. The first is burial in a VA national cemetery, where the government provides the gravesite and most services at no cost. The second is a set of allowances and items — burial allowances, a headstone or marker, a burial flag — that help pay for or honor a burial in a private cemetery. Knowing which benefits exist, and filing for them correctly, spares a family guesswork during a hard week.
Most benefits are available to any veteran discharged under conditions other than dishonorable. This guide covers what the VA provides, the 2026 allowance amounts, the filing deadlines, and how to plan ahead so eligibility is settled long before it is needed.
Eligibility for VA burial benefits generally extends to veterans who did not receive a dishonorable discharge. Service members who die on active duty, and their families, are covered through separate military channels rather than these benefits. Beyond the veteran, an eligible spouse — including a surviving spouse who later remarries — and dependent children can qualify for burial in a national cemetery. If a veteran's discharge is changed after death from dishonorable to a qualifying status, the family has two years from that change to file.
A veteran eligible for burial in a VA national cemetery receives the gravesite, opening and closing of the grave, a government headstone or marker, a burial flag, and a Presidential Memorial Certificate — all at no cost to the family, along with perpetual care of the site. Eligible spouses and dependent children can be buried in a national cemetery as well.
The National Cemetery Administration operates more than 150 national cemeteries. If the nearest one is full or far away, most states run their own veterans cemeteries that accept veterans meeting federal eligibility rules and generally offer the same core benefits.
A veteran buried in a private cemetery is still entitled to several benefits. The VA provides, at no cost, a government headstone or marker, or a medallion to affix to a privately purchased headstone. It also provides a burial flag to drape the casket and then pass to the next of kin, and a Presidential Memorial Certificate issued in the president's name. Any veteran who served honorably is eligible for the burial flag.
Separate from the items above, burial allowances partially reimburse the family for funeral, burial, and plot costs. The amount depends on how the veteran died and whether they were connected to the VA system at the time. The figures below apply to deaths on or after October 1, 2025.
| Benefit | 2026 amount | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Service-connected death allowance | Up to $2,000 | Death was caused by a service-connected condition |
| Non-service-connected burial allowance | Up to $1,002 | Veteran was receiving VA compensation or pension, died in VA care, or had a claim pending |
| Plot or interment allowance | Up to $1,002 | Veteran is not buried in a national cemetery |
| Headstone or marker allowance | Up to $441 | For a privately purchased headstone or marker |
A service-connected death — one caused or hastened by a service-connected condition — carries the highest allowance, up to $2,000. A non-service-connected death qualifies for a smaller amount if the veteran was receiving VA compensation or pension, died while in VA care, or had a claim pending at the time of death. The VA also reimburses the cost of transporting the veteran's remains to a national cemetery.
Deadlines depend on the type of death. For a service-connected death, there is no time limit to file for the burial or transportation allowance. For a non-service-connected death, you generally must file within two years of the veteran's burial or cremation — but there is no limit if the veteran died while in VA care, or if you are claiming only the plot or transportation allowance.
If you are the surviving spouse listed on the veteran's VA profile, you often do not need to file a claim. When the VA is notified of the veteran's death, it automatically pays a set amount to eligible surviving spouses toward the plot, interment, or transportation costs. Other family members, or spouses not on file, apply using the form below.
Pre-need eligibility lets a veteran or eligible family member confirm eligibility for burial in a VA national cemetery in advance, using VA Form 40-10007. Settling it now means the family does not have to prove eligibility during a difficult time. Alongside it, keep the veteran's DD-214 accessible to next of kin and make burial wishes known — these small steps prevent most of the delays families run into.
To claim a burial allowance, file VA Form 21P-530EZ (Application for Burial Benefits) online at VA.gov or by mail to the VA Pension Intake Center. You will generally provide the veteran's death certificate and, for a service-connected claim, supporting medical records. For pre-need eligibility, submit VA Form 40-10007. Requests for a headstone, marker, medallion, or burial flag use their own separate forms, which a funeral director or a VSO can help you complete.
VA burial benefits divide cleanly: a national-cemetery burial is largely provided at no cost, while a private-cemetery burial draws on allowances and memorial items you apply for. The most useful thing a veteran can do is settle pre-need eligibility and keep the DD-214 where family can find it. When the time comes, a surviving spouse on file is often paid automatically, and any family member can apply for the rest with a single form.
VA burial allowances are payments that partially reimburse a family for a veteran's funeral, burial, and plot costs. They are separate from the free items provided at a national cemetery. The amount depends on whether the death was service-connected and whether the veteran was receiving VA benefits or in VA care at the time of death.
For deaths on or after October 1, 2025, the VA pays up to $2,000 for a service-connected death. For a qualifying non-service-connected death, it pays up to $1,002 toward burial and up to $1,002 for a plot, plus up to $441 toward a privately purchased headstone or marker. The VA also reimburses transportation to a national cemetery.
Yes. For an eligible veteran, a national cemetery burial includes the gravesite, opening and closing of the grave, a government headstone or marker, a burial flag, a Presidential Memorial Certificate, and perpetual care — at no cost to the family. Eligible spouses and dependent children may also be buried there.
It depends on the death. There is no time limit for a service-connected death, or for the plot or transportation allowance. For a non-service-connected death, you generally must file within two years of the veteran's burial or cremation, unless the veteran died while in VA care.
Often not. If you are the surviving spouse listed on the veteran's VA profile, the VA automatically pays a set amount toward plot, interment, or transportation costs once it is notified of the death. Other family members, or spouses not on file, apply with VA Form 21P-530EZ.