Who is eligible for a VA home loan?
Eligibility depends on when and how you served. Active-duty members usually need 90 continuous days. Veterans who served after August 1, 1990 usually need 24 continuous months. Guard and Reserve members have their own tests, including 6 creditable years. Surviving spouses may qualify in certain cases. VA's eligibility page lists every service period.
The table covers the most common situations today; VA's eligibility page (opens in a new tab) lists every service period back to World War II, each with its own minimum.
| If you are… | You usually need |
|---|---|
| Serving on active duty | At least 90 continuous days of service |
| A Veteran who served after August 1, 1990 | 24 continuous months, or the full period you were called to active duty (at least 90 days), or less if discharged for a service-connected disability |
| In the National Guard | 90 days of non-training active duty (Title 10), or 90 days of active duty including at least 30 consecutive days under a Title 32 activation shown on your DD214, or 6 creditable years and still serving, discharged honorably, or retired |
| In the Reserve | 90 days of non-training active duty, or 6 creditable years in the Selected Reserve and still serving, discharged honorably, or retired |
| A surviving spouse | To be eligible for or receiving certain Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), or to be the spouse of a service member who is missing in action or a prisoner of war |
Left early? VA accepts shorter service for some reasons, including hardship, a reduction in force, certain medical conditions and a service-connected disability. If your discharge was other than honorable, VA says you may not be eligible, but you can still apply and VA will review your records.
What is a Certificate of Eligibility?
A Certificate of Eligibility, or COE, is VA's confirmation that your service qualifies you for a VA-backed home loan. It also shows your entitlement — how much of a loan VA will back — and any VA loans you've used before. Your lender will typically need it before your loan closes, so it's worth getting early.
If you've used the benefit before, the COE is also where you see what's left. That's covered in using a VA loan more than once.
How do you request your COE?
You can request your COE three ways: through your lender, which can often use VA's online system; online yourself at VA.gov; or by mail on VA Form 26-1880, which VA says may take longer. Ask your lender first, since you may not need to request it separately. Having your documents ready speeds things up.
VA offers three ways:
- Through your lender. Many lenders can request it through VA's online system, so ask yours whether it can. If so, you don't have to request it separately.
- Online yourself, through VA.gov (opens in a new tab).
- By mail, on VA Form 26-1880, sent to the regional loan center listed on the form. VA says mail may take longer.
If the online system can't confirm your service, you'll be asked for documents.
Which documents do you need?
VA asks for different documents depending on your situation. A Veteran needs a DD214. Someone on active duty needs a statement of service signed by a commander, adjutant or personnel officer. Guard and Reserve members, and surviving spouses, have their own lists, shown in the table below. Having the right ones ready makes the request move faster.
| If you are… | What to have ready |
|---|---|
| A Veteran | Your DD214 |
| Serving on active duty | A statement of service signed by your commander, adjutant or personnel officer, showing your full name, Social Security number, date of birth, date you entered duty, any lost time, and the command providing it |
| Reserve, activated (now or before) | Your DD214 or other discharge documents |
| Guard, activated (now or before) | Your DD214 or other discharge documents. If you're using the 30-consecutive-day Title 32 route, also proof of the activation: a DD214 showing it, an annual point statement, or a DD220 with your orders |
| Guard or Reserve, still serving, never activated | A statement of service like the active-duty one, plus your total creditable years |
| Guard, discharged, never activated | NGB Form 22 for each period of service, NGB Form 23, and proof of the character of your service |
| Reserve, discharged, never activated | Your latest annual retirement points and proof of honorable service |
| A surviving spouse receiving DIC | VA Form 26-1817, and the Veteran's DD214 if you have it |
| A surviving spouse not receiving DIC | VA Form 21P-534EZ, a copy of your marriage license, the Veteran's death certificate, and their DD214 if you have it |
Does a COE mean you're approved for the loan?
No. The COE proves your service qualifies. The loan itself still depends on the lender's review of your credit, income and debts, and on the home. A VA purchase loan is also for a home you'll live in. VA's pages set no minimum credit score; lenders set their own standards.
VA says (opens in a new tab) you need to live in the home you buy with a VA purchase loan — it's for the place you'll call home, not a vacation rental.
If you'd like to see where you stand first, the readiness check takes two minutes and asks for no name or documents. More on the program: VA home loans.
More on this: VA home loans
