Funeral Assistance FAQ

No. The end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency and National Emergency declarations will not affect the eligibility period for COVID-19-related funeral expenses. You must incur COVID-19-related funeral expenses on or after January 20, 2020, to be eligible for COVID-19 Funeral Assistance. FEMA will release more information when an end date is established.

No. The end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency and National Emergency declarations will not affect the application period for COVID-19 Funeral Assistance, which does not currently have an end date. FEMA will release more information when a deadline to the application period is established.

No online applications will be accepted.

When you call, it will take about 20 minutes to apply, and you can ask questions and receive the help you need with the application process.

Once you have applied for COVID-19 Funeral Assistance and received your FEMA application number, you may submit required documentation to FEMA in several ways:

• Upload documents to your DisasterAssistance.gov account
• Fax to: 855-261-3452
• Mail to: P.O. BOX 10001, Hyattsville, MD 20782

You may qualify if:

• States, tribes, territories, businesses, organizations, and other entities are not eligible for COVID-19 Funeral Assistance.
• A minor child applying on behalf of an adult who is not a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified non-citizen cannot apply for COVID-19 Funeral Assistance.
  • However, a minor child who is a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified non-citizen, can apply if they directly incurred funeral expenses for a COVID-19-related death and the documentation supports that assertion.
• There are several categories of non-citizens who are not eligible for FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program, including COVID-19 Funeral Assistance. These individuals include, but are not limited to:
  • Citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands
  • Temporary tourist visa holders
  • Foreign students
  • Temporary work visa holders

If you incurred COVID-19-related funeral expenses for more than one individual, you may receive at a maximum of $9,000 per deceased individual and a maximum of $35,500 per application, if you incurred funeral expenses for multiple deceased individuals per state, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia.

Funeral homes are not eligible to apply on your behalf or to be a co-applicant on your COVID-19 Funeral Assistance application. The person applying must be an individual, not a business or other entity, who incurred COVID-19-related funeral expenses.

Eligible COVID-19 Funeral Assistance expenses typically include, but are not limited to:

• Funeral services
• Cremation
• Interment
• Transportation for up to two individuals to identify the deceased individual
• Transfer of remains
• Casket or urn
• Burial plot or cremation niche
• Marker or headstone
• Clergy or officiant services
• Arrangement of the funeral ceremony
• Use of funeral home equipment or staff
• Costs associated with producing and certifying multiple death certificates
• Additional expenses mandated by any applicable local or state government laws or ordinances

You are encouraged to provide documentation verifying the death was attributed to COVID-19, along with proof of funeral expenses and proof of other funeral assistance received, as soon as possible. Once FEMA receives all your documentation, we will verify and validate it as part of the application review process.