Honouring those who
served Canada
with pride.

For many veterans and their families, the question of eligibility for Canada's National Military Cemetery feels uncertain. The official language in Department of National Defence policy documents can be dense, and the stakes feel high enough that people are reluctant to assume. This article breaks it down plainly.

Who qualifies

Interment in Section 103 is available to any member of the Canadian Armed Forces who served honourably — whether they are currently serving or have been released. Specifically, eligibility extends to:

• Serving members of the Regular Force
• Serving members of the Reserve Force
• Members honourably released from either the Regular or Reserve Force
• Veterans of Canada's Merchant Navy who served during wartime
• CAF members who die while on active service, who are automatically eligible regardless of their release status

There is no minimum length of service required, and eligibility is not tied to rank, regiment, or the nature of one's service. A private who served two years and was honourably released qualifies in the same way as a general who served thirty.

Can a family member be buried there too?

Yes. Each eligible applicant may designate one immediate family member to be interred in the same burial plot. The definition of immediate family member is broad: it includes a spouse, common-law partner, parent, sibling, child, or any other person considered to be the applicant's next of kin. If the family member is themselves eligible for Section 103 as a CAF member and wishes to have their own separate plot, a separate application must be submitted.

What can disqualify an application?

Eligibility can be denied or revoked by the Director of Casualty Support Management. While this is uncommon, it can occur where the circumstances of a member's service or release are in question. Each application is reviewed individually, and DND accesses military service records directly to confirm eligibility.

What if the situation is complicated?

Reserve service, interrupted careers, or service records that span several decades can sometimes make eligibility less straightforward to confirm. In these cases, the best approach is to submit the application with as much supporting documentation as possible — release certificates, military ID cards, service records, and basic training reports all help expedite the process. DND requires ten working days to process applications but aims to complete reviews as quickly as possible.

The bottom line

If someone served Canada in the Canadian Armed Forces and was honourably released, there is a very strong likelihood they qualify. The application costs nothing and carries no obligation. Submitting it simply confirms eligibility and ensures that the option is available when it is needed.

A military funeral at Canada's National Military Cemetery is unlike a civilian service. It follows a protocol shaped by decades of tradition, designed to honour the service member's commitment to Canada and offer their family a meaningful farewell. For families who have never attended one, knowing what to expect can bring considerable comfort.

The graveside service

Interments in Section 103 are conducted at graveside. The service itself is led by a chaplain, officiant, or celebrant of the family's choosing, and the family determines the religious or non-religious character of the ceremony. What distinguishes a military funeral is the presence of formal military honours, which are provided subject to availability with five working days' notice.

The flag ceremony

A Canadian flag is draped over the casket throughout the service. At its conclusion, the flag is ceremonially folded by military personnel and presented to the next of kin — a quiet, deeply moving moment that formally acknowledges the service member's dedication to Canada. For many families, this is the moment they carry with them longest.

The Last Post

The sounding of the Last Post by a military bugler is one of the most recognizable elements of a Canadian military funeral. Originally a signal marking the end of the military day, it has come to represent eternal rest and is sounded at the moment of committal. A period of silence follows, after which Reveille may be played — a tradition that speaks to the promise of remembrance.

Honour guard and piper

A military honour guard may be provided to escort the casket or urn and stand in formation during the service, attending in full dress uniform. A military piper may also be requested — a tradition particularly meaningful for families with Scottish or regimental heritage, though by no means limited to them. The sound of pipes at graveside is one that stays with those present for a lifetime.

Medals and decorations

The service member's medals and decorations are displayed during the ceremony and may be presented to the family. These are not merely ornamental — they represent a record of service and sacrifice that deserves to be acknowledged formally and passed down.

Planning ahead

Families are encouraged to indicate their preferences for military honours as part of the application process, so that wishes are clearly on record and can be honoured without the family having to make difficult decisions under pressure at the time of need.

There is a common misconception that submitting an application for interment in the National Military Cemetery is an act of resignation — something done only when death is imminent. In reality, the opposite is true. Applying early is one of the most practical and considerate things a veteran or serving member can do for themselves and their family.

The application is not an arrangement

Submitting Form DND 2277-E does not initiate any funeral or burial arrangements. It simply registers the applicant with the Department of National Defence for eligibility review. Once approved, the applicant is notified and the file is held on record. Nothing further happens until the time of need, at which point the family contacts Beechwood Cemetery to make arrangements. Many veterans apply years — even decades — in advance. Some apply while still serving. The application sits quietly on file, costing nothing and obligating no one, until it is needed.

What it means for families

When a death occurs, families face an enormous number of decisions in a very short time, often while managing grief. Knowing that eligibility has already been confirmed and that a place at the National Military Cemetery is secured removes one significant burden from that process. Families can focus on the ceremony and on each other, rather than on paperwork and approval timelines.

For veterans who have strong feelings about where they wish to be interred, applying in advance is the surest way to ensure those wishes are known and honoured. Verbal instructions to family members are easily forgotten or overlooked in the chaos that follows a death. A formal application on record with DND is not.

The process is straightforward

The application requires basic military service information — service number, rank, enrolment and release dates — along with a signature authorizing DND to access military service records for verification. Most applicants are able to complete the form in under thirty minutes. DND processes applications within ten working days.

There is no wrong time to apply

Whether someone is currently serving, recently released, or a veteran of many decades, the application process is the same. The National Military Cemetery is open to all who served honourably, and the decision to secure that place is one that can be made at any point in life. The only requirement is that the application be submitted before it is urgently needed.

Canada's Merchant Navy veterans occupy a unique and long-complicated place in the country's military history. For decades following the Second World War, their service was not formally recognized alongside that of the Royal Canadian Navy, Army, and Air Force — a gap that left many veterans and their families without access to the benefits and honours their service warranted. That has changed. Today, eligible Merchant Navy veterans hold a full place of honour in Section 103 of Canada's National Military Cemetery.

Who served in the Merchant Navy

Canada's Merchant Navy was the fleet of civilian cargo and transport ships that carried troops, equipment, food, and supplies across the Atlantic and Pacific during the Second World War. At its peak, the fleet employed over 12,000 Canadian mariners. These men and women faced extraordinary danger — the North Atlantic in wartime was among the most lethal environments of the conflict, with German U-boats targeting supply convoys relentlessly. Canada lost 1,600 merchant mariners and 73 ships during the war.

A long road to recognition

Despite their sacrifices, Merchant Navy veterans were not granted veteran status under Canadian law until 1992 — nearly fifty years after the war's end. The delay meant that many veterans died without receiving the recognition or benefits they had earned. The formal acknowledgment, when it came, was both overdue and meaningful. Merchant Navy service during wartime is now recognized as equivalent to military service for the purposes of federal benefits, honours, and interment rights.

Eligibility for Section 103

Veterans of Canada's Merchant Navy who served during wartime are eligible for interment in Section 103 of the National Military Cemetery. The application process is the same as for CAF members — Form DND 2277-E is submitted to the Director of Casualty Support Management, who verifies eligibility and notifies the applicant of approval. As with CAF members, eligible Merchant Navy veterans may designate one immediate family member to be interred in the same plot.

For families researching a veteran's service

Some families of Merchant Navy veterans may be uncertain whether their loved one's service qualifies, particularly if records are incomplete or the veteran passed away before formal recognition was granted. Library and Archives Canada holds Merchant Navy service records and can assist with research. Any documentation the family can provide — discharge papers, sailing records, union cards — will help expedite the DND eligibility review.

Honouring a long-overdue recognition

For surviving Merchant Navy veterans and their families, interment at the National Military Cemetery represents not just a resting place but a formal acknowledgment of service that was too long in coming. Section 103 makes no distinction between branches or theatres — those who served at sea rest alongside those who served on land and in the air, as equals.

Receiving approval from the Department of National Defence is an important milestone — but it is the beginning of the process, not the end. Understanding what comes next helps families plan with confidence and avoids uncertainty at a difficult time.

The approval notification

Once DND has reviewed and approved an application, the applicant receives a written notification confirming eligibility for interment in Section 103. This document should be kept with other important personal records and its location made known to next of kin. It is the authorization that allows arrangements to be made with Beechwood Cemetery when the time comes.

No further action is required immediately

Approval does not initiate any cemetery arrangements. The approved file is simply held on record. The applicant continues their life as normal, and the file remains in place until it is needed. There are no ongoing requirements, no fees at this stage, and no need to reapply unless circumstances change significantly.

When the time comes: contacting Beechwood

At the time of need, the family contacts Beechwood Cemetery's Family Services team directly. A Family Services Representative will guide the family through the remaining arrangements, including selecting the type of interment, coordinating the graveside service, arranging military honours, and ordering the headstone.

You don't have to wait until the time of need to speak with Beechwood. Pre-planning your arrangements in advance allows you to make thoughtful decisions, record your wishes clearly, and spare your family from having to navigate those choices during one of the most difficult periods of their lives. Many families find that pre-planning brings genuine peace of mind, knowing that everything is in order and nothing will be left uncertain.

Burial costs

Burial costs in Section 103 are the responsibility of the applicant's family or estate, with one important exception: CAF members who die while on active service may have funeral and burial expenses covered by the Department of National Defence. For all other applicants, costs are set by Beechwood Cemetery and a rate table is published on the Government of Canada's National Military Cemetery page.

The headstone

All graves in Section 103 are marked with a uniform military headstone provided at no charge by the Government of Canada. The headstone bears the service member's name, rank, service dates, chosen military badge, and religious symbol if applicable. Only one badge per applicant is permitted, and eligibility for specific badges is determined by DND based on the service record. Families indicate their headstone preferences as part of the original application.

Graves are assigned sequentially

Grave locations cannot be chosen in advance. Plots are assigned in sequential order as interments occur, regardless of rank, regiment, or personal preference. This is a deliberate policy — a final statement of equality among those who served. At the National Military Cemetery, a private and a general rest side by side.

Re-interment

For families whose loved one was buried elsewhere and who wish to have them moved to the National Military Cemetery, re-interment of eligible members is permitted. This process is coordinated through Beechwood Cemetery and DND, and the same eligibility criteria apply.