How to Get Buried at Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington National Cemetery handles up to thirty services per weekday, yet the wait list stretches months for most families. The gap between wanting to bury a veteran there and actually getting a committal date is filled with eligibility rules, document requirements, and scheduling realities that catch families off guard.

Who Qualifies for Arlington

Arlington's eligibility standards are stricter than the VA's 155 national cemeteries. The primary categories:

• Active-duty service members who die while serving
• Retired members of the Armed Forces (those receiving retired pay or who would receive it except for waiving it for VA disability compensation)
• Veterans with specific valor decorations — Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, or Purple Heart
• Former prisoners of war who served honorably
• Former senior officials holding specific government positions

Veterans with honorable discharges who don't meet these criteria may still qualify for the VA's other national cemeteries, which have broader eligibility. Spouses, minor children, and certain dependent adult children of eligible service members may be interred or inurned alongside them.

The DD Form 214 is the document that proves eligibility. Without it, the scheduling process cannot begin.

Current Wait Times

Arlington's scheduling is driven by the type of remains and the honors level:

Casketed remains are prioritized because of storage costs and health considerations. Families typically receive a committal date within two to three weeks of document validation.

Cremated remains with standard honors carry a wait time of approximately seven to eight months.

Cremated remains with full military honors and escort (available for high-ranking officers, Medal of Honor recipients, and POWs) face wait times of nine to eleven months.

Active-duty deaths killed in action or who died of wounds are prioritized and scheduled within about two weeks regardless of the type of remains.

These timelines mean families choosing cremation need to plan for a long interim period. Many hold a memorial service locally soon after the death and schedule the Arlington committal months later.

How Scheduling Works

The family or funeral director contacts the Arlington National Cemetery scheduling office (not the general VA cemetery line). The application requires:

• The veteran's DD Form 214 or equivalent separation document
• A certified death certificate
• A cremation certificate, if applicable
• Identification of the Primary Next of Kin or Person Authorized to Direct Disposition (PADD)

Arlington operates five days a week. Services are assigned to committal shelters — the formal ceremony happens there, not at the gravesite. Each service gets a strict 20-minute window that must accommodate both religious or secular readings and the military honors sequence.

What Happens at an Arlington Service

The sequence follows a precise choreography:

1. The funeral coach arrives and the honors detail presents arms as the casket moves to the shelter
2. The chaplain or clergy leads the procession
3. Religious or secular readings (10–12 minutes allotted)
4. When full military honors are rendered, the firing party executes three rifle volleys
5. The bugler plays the 24 notes of Taps
6. The casket team folds the flag into its triangular tricorn shape
7. A uniformed representative presents the flag to the primary next of kin using the standardized presidential script
8. An Arlington Lady presents a personal card of condolence

The Arlington Ladies are unique to this cemetery — one attends every single funeral for her branch to ensure no service member is buried alone.

What Arlington Provides at No Cost

Interment in a national cemetery includes the gravesite, opening and closing of the grave, a government headstone or marker, perpetual care, and a Presidential Memorial Certificate. Families pay for the casket or urn, transportation of remains, and any private funeral home services.

When Arlington Isn't the Right Fit

The long wait times, travel logistics, and strict scheduling windows make Arlington impractical for some families. VA national cemeteries closer to the family's home typically schedule services within three business days and provide the same core benefits — gravesite, headstone, perpetual care, military honors. State veterans cemeteries offer similar advantages with even more flexibility.

The Military Funeral & Honors Guide covers the full eligibility breakdown for Arlington, VA national cemeteries, and state veterans cemeteries, with comparison worksheets to help families choose the right option for their situation.