VA Pre-Need Burial Eligibility: How to Apply Before You Need It

The hardest time to make decisions is when you are in the middle of grief. One of the most useful things a veteran or their family can do right now -- before anything happens -- is apply for advance burial eligibility through the VA Pre-Need program. It takes about 30 minutes, it costs nothing, and it removes one of the biggest decisions from a family's worst day.

What Is the Pre-Need Program?

The VA Pre-Need Eligibility Determination program allows veterans, service members, and their eligible family members to apply for burial eligibility in a VA national cemetery before they die. Once approved, the family receives a written determination they can present at the time of need -- no guessing, no last-minute documentation search.

Who Can Apply?

Any veteran or service member who believes they may be eligible for burial in a national cemetery can apply. Spouses and dependent children of eligible veterans can also apply. You do not have to be ill or in declining health to apply -- applying while healthy and while records are easy to locate is precisely the point.

How to Apply

Fill out VA Form 40-10007, which can be completed online at va.gov/burials-memorials/pre-need-eligibility or downloaded and mailed to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office. You will need the veteran's DD-214. Spouses applying on their own behalf will need documentation of their relationship to the eligible veteran.

What Happens After You Apply?

The VA will review your application and mail a written decision, usually within 90 days. Keep the eligibility determination letter with your will, your DD-214, and any other final wishes paperwork.

Important Limitations

Pre-Need eligibility does not guarantee a gravesite at a specific cemetery. Some national cemeteries have limited space. The eligibility determination confirms you qualify -- the specific cemetery is determined at the time of scheduling.

Why Do This Now?

I have seen families spend hours trying to locate discharge paperwork while simultaneously planning a funeral. Applying for Pre-Need now means the VA already has the documentation on file. Apply at va.gov/burials-memorials/pre-need-eligibility or call 1-800-535-1117.

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