Schedule a burial for a Veteran or family member

Gather the information and documents you’ll need to identify the deceased when you call the National Cemetery Scheduling Office

You’ll need the DD214 or other discharge documents of the Veteran or service member whose military service will be used to determine eligibility for burial in a VA national cemetery. Their discharge from service needs to have been under conditions other than dishonorable.

We may also need other documents to verify a relationship to a Veteran or the status of a dependent. These may include a death certificate, letters from your doctor, a divorce decree, a statement from the Social Security Administration, or other documents to support your claim.

Find out which discharge documents we accept along with your application

Find out how to request the Veteran’s DD214

Use this helpful checklist to help you organize your documents (PDF)

If you can’t find these documents, please ask for our help when you call. It may take us several days to check eligibility if you don’t have discharge documents.

Note: Discharge documents aren’t usually needed for scheduling when a Veteran or eligible dependent is already interred in a national cemetery.

You’ll also need this information about the deceased:

• Name
• Gender
• Social Security number or Military Service number (Veteran ID)
• Date of birth
• Relationship to the service member or Veteran whose military service will be used to decide eligibility
• Marital status
• Date of death (and zip code and county at the time of death)

You’ll need this information about the next of kin (the closest living relative of the deceased):

• Name
• Relationship to the deceased
• Social Security number
• Phone number
• Address

You may also need more information in certain cases:

• If the person was married, you’ll also need the surviving spouse’s status as Veteran, service member, or family member.
• If the person has any children with disabilities, you’ll need the status and detailed information for any disabled children who may be buried in the future in a national cemetery.
• If the person’s spouse passed away previously and was buried in a VA national cemetery, you’ll need the full name of the spouse as well as the cemetery section and site number where they’re buried.

Decide on the burial details and gather all related information

You’ll need to tell us this information:

• The cemetery where you’d prefer the Veteran, spouse, or dependent family member be buried.
  Find a VA national cemetery
  Find a state Veterans cemetery
• The type of burial you’d like for the person (casket or cremation) and the size of the casket or cremation urn.
• The type of gravesite memorial you’d like. This may be a headstone, grave marker, niche cover, or medallion.
• Any religious emblem or optional inscription that you’d like on the headstone or marker. 

If the person is a Veteran or Reservist, you’ll also need to tell us if you’d like burial honors or memorial items, such as these:

• A burial flag
• A Presidential Memorial Certificate
• Other possible military honors beyond the playing of “Taps” and flag folding and presentation

Request gravesite memorials and burial honors

Learn more about military funeral honors

Contact the National Cemetery Scheduling Office

The funeral director you’ve chosen can help you with these steps too:

• For burial in a national cemetery, fax any discharge papers to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 866-900-6417. Or scan and email the papers to NCA.Scheduling@va.gov with the person’s name you’re requesting burial benefits for in the subject line.

• Then call 800-535-1117 (TTY: 711) to confirm the burial application. We’re here Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET, and Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET. Be sure to have all the information ready that’s listed in steps 1 and 2.