Schedule a burial for a Veteran or family member 
Find out how to make burial plans for a Veteran, spouse, or dependent family member. 

How do I schedule a burial for a Veteran or other family member? 


If you have a pre-need decision letter that confirms eligibility 
To start , you may want to choose a funeral director to help you plan the burial. Then either you or the funeral director can call the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800 - 535 - 1117 to request a burial. Keep in mind that the pre - need decision letter doesn t identify a specific cemetery or gravesite, since it s not possible to reserve these in advance. In some cases , we may review your eligibility again at your time of death, as laws and circumstances may have changed since your pre - need application. You don t need to do anything else except prepare yourself and your family for the funeral. Find out what to expect at a military funeral or memorial service 

If you don t have a pre-need decision letter 
To start , you may want to choose a funeral director to help you plan the burial. Then either you or the funeral director will need to take these 3 steps to schedule the burial. 

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 serviced 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 applicationFind out how to request the Veteran s DD214 If you can t find these 

user: Hello. I'm looking for information related to get help for a funeral for a veteran, can you give me some information about it?

assistant: Yes, we can help you to get financial help for burial and funeral cost, but are the spouse or a designated legally chosen family member of the veteran?

user: Yes. I'm the spouse of a veteran. 

assistant: In that case, you can get help for the burial and funeral costs. You just need to apply for a veterans burial allowance.

user: This help covers any kind of memorials and honors for the veteran?

assistant: Yes, you can request grave site memorials and burial honors, you just need to ask for them.

user: O.K., what kind of information do I have to give you to this process?

assistant: You are going to need to provide information about the closest living relative of the deceased, as name and the relationship to the veteran.

user: That's all what I have to provide?

assistant: You also need to tell us if you like burial honors or memorial items, such as burial flag or a presidential memorial certificate.

user: Got it, it's there any phone number to contact you?

assistant: Yes. You can contact to the united states navy mortuary affairs office, free of charge, to the 866-787-0081, monday through friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. east time.