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VA burial eligibility is checked in one of two ways: before death, by submitting VA Form 40-10007 for a pre-need determination, or after death, by calling the National Cemetery Scheduling Office to request an interment. A pre-need approval helps with planning but does not reserve a cemetery or gravesite; the family or funeral director must still arrange the burial when death occurs.
The correct route depends on timing and on which cemetery system you want to use. The instructions below cover VA national cemeteries, explain the documents to gather, and show what changes for Arlington National Cemetery, the United States Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National Cemetery, and VA grant-funded state, territory, or tribal cemeteries.
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Use the pre-need process before death. Use the time-of-need process after death. VA Form 40-10007 is only for an advance eligibility determination; it is not the form to use to schedule an actual interment.
| Situation | What to do | What it accomplishes |
|---|---|---|
| Planning before death | Submit VA Form 40-10007 online, by mail, or by fax. | VA reviews likely eligibility for burial in a VA national cemetery and sends a decision letter. |
| Death has occurred | Call the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117 (TTY: 711). | VA checks eligibility and available space, then works with the family or funeral director to schedule an interment. |
| Arlington National Cemetery or the United States Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National Cemetery | Use that cemetery’s own application and scheduling process. | These cemeteries are not scheduled through the standard VA national-cemetery route. |
| VA grant-funded state, territory, or tribal cemetery | Contact the cemetery directly about its pre-need program and scheduling rules. | Each cemetery may administer its own application process. |
The distinction matters because filing a pre-need form after a death can delay the request. Conversely, calling the scheduling office years before a death does not create a reservation.
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Who may qualify for burial in a VA national cemetery?
Potentially eligible groups include Veterans who satisfy the applicable service and discharge requirements, service members who died in qualifying duty statuses, spouses and surviving spouses, minor children, and some unmarried adult dependent children. Eligibility is determined from the person’s actual service history, character of discharge, relationship to a qualifying Veteran, dependent status, and any statutory exceptions.
Those categories are not an automatic approval. For example, a relationship claim may require proof of marriage, parentage, or dependency, while a Veteran’s claim may turn on the dates and character of service. Review the VA’s detailed eligibility rules for the person’s facts rather than relying on a general assumption that every former service member qualifies.
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A pre-need determination is an advance review, not a permanent guarantee. VA can review eligibility again at the time of need if the law or the person’s circumstances have changed.
How do I verify eligibility before death?
Submit VA Form 40-10007, Application for Pre-Need Determination of Eligibility for Burial in a VA National Cemetery. The VA pre-need page provides online submission instructions and a paper-filing option. The form’s March 2025 revision lists an expiration date of March 31, 2029, but confirm that you are using the current version and current VA instructions before sending personal documents.
1. Gather the information VA asks for
Have the applicant’s legal name, Social Security number, date of birth, contact details, military history, and preferred VA national cemetery available. If the applicant is not filing personally, gather the information and authorization or relationship documents VA requests for a representative. An unmarried adult dependent child may need additional evidence of dependent status.
A DD214 or another official separation document can help VA verify service. It is useful but not necessarily a barrier if unavailable: VA says it will try to locate military records when a DD214 cannot be provided. Include any discharge paperwork you have, and identify gaps instead of guessing at dates or character of service.
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Each person seeking a determination needs a separate application. A family should not put several potential decedents on one form or assume that a decision for one person automatically establishes another person’s eligibility. Spouses, children, and other family members should submit their own applications when they want advance decisions.
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3. Name a preferred cemetery, but treat it as a preference
The form asks for a preferred VA national cemetery so VA can understand the family’s planning choice. VA cannot guarantee that cemetery will have an available gravesite when the person dies. Space, the type of interment requested, and the cemetery’s operating conditions are considered at the time of need.
4. Submit through the current VA channel
The March 2025 form directs applicants to mail materials to:
NCA Intake Center
P.O. Box 5237
Janesville, WI 53547
It also lists fax number 855-840-8299. Submission addresses and electronic instructions can change, so verify them on the live VA pre-need eligibility page immediately before filing. Keep a copy of the completed form and anything you send.
5. Keep the decision letter with estate and funeral records
VA will issue a pre-need decision. Store the letter where the executor, next of kin, and funeral director can find it, and tell those people that it exists. The letter can make a later scheduling call more efficient, but it does not reserve a cemetery, a section, a plot, or a date.
What does a favorable pre-need decision actually mean?
A favorable letter confirms that VA found the applicant eligible in advance under the information and rules available when it made the decision. It does not assign a gravesite or identify a guaranteed cemetery. VA’s scheduling guidance explains that a specific site cannot be reserved before death because availability must be determined at the time of need.
When death occurs, the family or funeral director still contacts the National Cemetery Scheduling Office. VA may verify the service record, relationship, discharge, or dependent status again. A change in law, a correction to the record, or a change in personal circumstances can affect the final determination.
Do not interpret the form’s stated 20-minute respondent burden as a promise that VA will issue a decision in 20 minutes. That figure is the estimated time for an applicant to complete the paperwork, not an agency processing-time estimate.
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How do I schedule a national cemetery interment after a death?
After death, call the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117 (TTY: 711). The current VA scheduling page lists hours of Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time. A family member can call, or a funeral director can make the request with the family’s information.
Information to have ready
- The decedent’s full name, date of birth, Social Security number if available, and date of death.
- A pre-need decision letter, if one was issued.
- Military discharge papers, such as a DD214, if available.
- The caller’s name, relationship to the decedent, telephone number, and other next-of-kin contact details.
- Information proving a claimed relationship or dependent status when the request is for a spouse, child, or other eligible family member.
- The preferred VA national cemetery and any practical alternatives the family is willing to consider.
- Whether the request is for a casketed burial or cremated remains, including the casket or urn size when known.
- Memorial preferences and any information the cemetery needs to plan the service.
These details allow the scheduling staff to identify the person, verify eligibility, and look for an available date and gravesite. Have the funeral director’s contact information available if the director will coordinate transportation or paperwork.
Send discharge documents only through confirmed VA instructions
VA’s current scheduling page says discharge papers for a time-of-need request can be faxed to 866-900-6417 or scanned and emailed to [email protected], with the decedent’s name in the subject line. Because these are sensitive records and contact instructions can change, confirm the number and address on the live VA scheduling page before transmitting anything. Call the scheduling office afterward to confirm that the request and documents were received.
If no pre-need decision exists
You do not need to file Form 40-10007 after a death. Tell the scheduling office that there is no pre-need letter and provide the service and relationship information available. VA may need several days to check records or request additional documents, so begin the call as soon as the funeral home has the basic facts.
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What if the Veteran’s discharge papers are missing?
Missing paperwork does not automatically end the request. Tell VA that the DD214 or other separation document is unavailable; VA says it will try to locate records when needed. Provide accurate identifying information, service branch, approximate dates, and any copies held by the family, county records office, veterans service organization, or funeral home.
Do not substitute an unverified online summary for an official record. If the scheduling office asks for clarification, answer the request promptly and keep notes of what was sent. The lack of a document may lengthen verification, but the available data does not support a specific processing-time estimate.
How are Arlington and state or tribal veterans cemeteries different?
Arlington National Cemetery and the United States Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National Cemetery use separate processes. A favorable VA national-cemetery pre-need letter should not be treated as an Arlington authorization. Contact the cemetery system directly for its eligibility rules, application, and scheduling instructions.
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VA grant-funded state, territory, and tribal veterans cemeteries also may operate their own pre-need programs. If the family prefers one of these cemeteries, ask that cemetery which form to use, what documents it requires, and whether its space or service rules differ from those of a VA-operated national cemetery. The standard VA national-cemetery form is not a universal application for every veterans cemetery.
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What should a family do before death?
A short planning file can prevent a time-of-need call from becoming a records search. Use this checklist:
- Confirm whether the person wants a VA national cemetery, a state or tribal veterans cemetery, Arlington, or another cemetery.
- Review the VA eligibility categories against the person’s service and family facts.
- Complete a separate Form 40-10007 for each person who wants a pre-need determination.
- Locate the DD214 or other separation records, while noting that VA may be able to find records if they are missing.
- Record the preferred cemetery and understand that it is not a reservation.
- Save the decision letter, application copy, and supporting documents in a place the next of kin and funeral director can access.
- Write down the National Cemetery Scheduling Office number, 800-535-1117, and identify who will make the call after death.
- Review the VA web pages periodically so contact details and forms remain current.
What should the family do immediately after death?
First tell the funeral director that the person may be eligible for a VA cemetery and provide any pre-need letter or discharge record. Then call the scheduling office during its listed hours. The caller should be ready to identify the decedent, explain the requested type of interment, name the preferred cemetery, and provide next-of-kin contact information.
If VA asks for documents, send only the records requested through the confirmed fax or email channel and call back to verify receipt. Keep the funeral home, family, and VA using the same spelling of the decedent’s name and the same date-of-birth information; inconsistent details can require additional clarification.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What mistakes commonly delay a request?
Using the wrong process
Submitting Form 40-10007 after death is unnecessary. Make the scheduling call instead. Before death, the reverse is also true: a general phone inquiry does not replace the pre-need application when the family wants a written advance determination.
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A pre-need letter does not hold a gravesite or a date. Tell relatives and the funeral director that the cemetery assignment happens after death and depends on availability.
Sending documents to an outdated address
Fax numbers, email addresses, and web forms can change. Check the current VA page immediately before sending Social Security numbers, discharge papers, or other identifying information.
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Filing one form for an entire household
Each claimant needs a separate application. A spouse’s determination does not automatically determine a child’s or another family member’s eligibility.
Assuming every veterans cemetery follows VA’s process
Arlington, the Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home cemetery, and grant-funded state, territory, or tribal cemeteries may have different rules. Confirm the governing cemetery before completing paperwork.
Treating the form’s time estimate as a decision deadline
The 20-minute figure is only an estimate of the applicant’s time to complete the form. VA does not publish a processing promise in the available data, so avoid making funeral arrangements around an assumed response date.
Where can I confirm the rules and contact details?
Start with VA’s eligibility page for service, discharge, spouse, child, and dependent categories. Use the pre-need page and current Form 40-10007 for an advance determination. After a death, use the scheduling page for the telephone hours and document-submission instructions.
Those pages are the safest place to recheck requirements because eligibility laws, forms, cemetery availability, and contact channels can change. Neither a general checklist nor a prior decision letter can replace the VA’s review of the individual’s records.
What is the practical answer?
Before death, complete Form 40-10007 and keep the resulting letter with the person’s records. After death, call 800-535-1117, provide the service and relationship documents available, and follow the scheduling office’s instructions for sending discharge papers. Treat the preferred cemetery as a request rather than a reservation, and use a separate process for Arlington, the Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home cemetery, or a state, territory, or tribal veterans cemetery.
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Is a DD214 mandatory to start a VA burial request?
No. A DD214 or other separation document can speed verification, but VA says it will try to locate military records when a DD214 is unavailable. Give the scheduling office as much accurate identifying and service information as possible and supply any record you later obtain.
Does the 20-minute estimate on Form 40-10007 mean VA will decide the application in 20 minutes?
No. The form’s 20-minute figure is the estimated respondent burden for completing the paperwork. It is not a claim-processing or records-search time, and the available data provides no guaranteed VA review period.
Can I use the VA national-cemetery form for Arlington National Cemetery?
No. Arlington National Cemetery and the United States Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National Cemetery have separate eligibility and scheduling systems. Contact those cemeteries directly rather than treating a VA national-cemetery decision as an Arlington authorization.
Are state or tribal veterans cemeteries automatically covered by a VA pre-need decision?
Not necessarily. VA grant-funded state, territory, and tribal cemeteries may run their own pre-need programs and may request different documents, so ask the chosen cemetery for its current application and space rules.
