VA loan eligibility: requirements, certificates, and more

Minimum requirements for VA loan eligibility

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) website, here are the minimum requirements to be eligible for a VA loan based on your branch of service or status in the military.

Servicemembers: minimum VA loan eligibility requirements

You’re eligible for a VA loan if you currently serve in the military and have served 90 continuous days without a break in service.

Veterans: minimum VA loan eligibility requirements

There are additional items to note if you are an Officer, see below for more details if this applies to you. If you’re a veteran, requirements for VA loan eligibility vary based on when you served.

Gulf War period to present day: August 2, 1990 to present

You meet the minimum service requirement if any of these are applicable:

• You served for 24 or more continuous months
• You served the full period (at least 90 days) for which you were called or ordered to active duty
• You were discharged for a hardship or a reduction in force but served at least 90 days
• You served less than 90 days and were discharged for a service-connected disability

September 8, 1980 – August 1, 1990

You meet the minimum service requirement if any of these are applicable:

• You served for 24 or more continuous months
• You served the full period (at least 181 days) for which you were called to active duty
• You were discharged for a hardship or a reduction in force but served at least 181 days
• You served less than 181 days and were discharged for a service-connected disability

Post-Vietnam War era: May 8, 1975 – September 7, 1980

You meet the minimum service requirement if either of these are applicable:

• You served for 181 or more continuous days
• You served less than 181 days and were discharged for a service-connected disability

Vietnam War era: August 5, 1964 – May 7, 1975

You meet the minimum service requirement if either of these are applicable:

• You served for 90 or more continuous days
• You served less than 90 days and were discharged for a service-connected disability

Served in the Republic of Vietnam: November 1, 1955 – May 7, 1975

You meet the minimum service requirement if either of these are applicable:

• You served for 90 or more continuous days
• You served less than 90 days and were discharged for a service-connected disability

Post-Korean War period: February 1, 1955 – August 4, 1974

You meet the minimum service requirement if either of these are applicable:

• You served for 181 or more continuous days
• You served less than 181 days and were discharged for a service-connected disability

Korean War: June 27, 1950 – January 31, 1955

You meet the minimum service requirement if either of these are applicable:

• You served for 90 or more continuous days
• You served less than 90 days and were discharged for a service-connected disability

Post World War II period: July 26, 1947 – June 26, 1950

You meet the minimum service requirement if either of these are applicable:

• You served for 181 or more continuous days
• You served less than 181 days and were discharged for a service-connected disability

World War II period: September 16, 1940 – July 25, 1947

You meet the minimum service requirement if either of these are applicable:

• You served for 90 or more continuous days
• You served less than 90 days and were discharged for a service-connected disability

Served as an Officer

October 17, 1981 – August 1, 1990

You meet the minimum service requirement if any of these are applicable:

• You served for 24 or more continuous months
• You served the full period (at least 181 days) for which you were called to active duty
• You were discharged for a hardship or a reduction in force but served at least 181 days
• You served less than 181 days and were discharged for a service-connected disability

May 8, 1975 – October 16, 1981

You meet the minimum service requirement if any of these are applicable:

• You served for 181 or more continuous days
• You served less than 181 days and were discharged for a service-connected disability

National Guard members: minimum VA loan eligibility requirements

If you served in the National Guard, requirements are based on when you served:

Gulf War period to present day: August 2, 1990 to present

You meet the minimum service requirement if you served for 90 or more days.

Any other time

You meet the minimum service requirement if any of these are applicable:

• You served at least 90 days of non-training active-duty service
• You served at least 90 days of active-duty service, including at least 30 consecutive days (your DD214 must show 32 USC sections 316, 502, 503, 504, or 505 activations)
• You served six creditable years in the National Guard and you were discharged honorably or placed on the retired lists

Reserve members: minimum VA loan eligibility requirements

As with other service types, the minimum requirements if you served in the Reserves depend on the period you served:

Gulf War period to present day: August 2, 1990 to present

You meet the minimum service requirement if you served for 90 or more days.

Any other time

You meet the minimum service requirement if any of these are applicable:

• You served for at least 90 days of non-training active-duty service
• You have six creditable years in the Selected Reserve

In addition to one of the above at least one of these must also be true:

• You were discharged honorably
• You were placed on the retired list
• You were transferred to the Standby Reserve or an element of the Ready Reserve other than the Selected Reserve after service characterized as honorable
• You continue to serve in the Selected Reserve

What if you don’t meet the minimum service requirements?

In some cases, you may be eligible to apply for a VA loan even if you don’t meet the minimum service requirements. You may still be able to get a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) if you were discharged for one of these reasons:

• Hardship
• The convenience of the government – you must have served at least 20 months of a two-year enlistment
• Early out – you must have served 21 months of a two-year enlistment
• Reduction in force
• Certain medical conditions
• A service-connected disability, which is a disability related to your military service

What if you didn’t receive an honorable discharge?

You are usually not eligible for VA benefits, including a VA loan, if you’ve received an other than honorable, bad conduct, or dishonorable discharge. However, there are a couple of ways you may try to qualify:

Learn how to apply for a discharge upgrade

You can visit the VA website and answer some questions about a discharge upgrade. The cases when an upgrade may be available if you can show your discharge was connected to any of these categories:

• Mental health conditions, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• Sexual assault or harassment during military service (the VA refers to this as military sexual trauma or MST)
• Sexual orientation (including under the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy)

The information you share during your discharge upgrade process with the VA is entirely confidential.

The Character of Discharge review process

According to the VA website, this process is another way you may be able to qualify for VA benefits like a VA home loan without an honorable discharge. When you apply for VA benefits, the VA will review your record to determine if your service was “honorable for VA purposes.”

It’s important to note that this review can take up to a year. You’ll need to provide documents supporting your case, and the VA recommends that, depending on the complexity of your case, you may want to find an advocate on your behalf. For instance, A Veterans Service Organization (VSO) will work with you to collect and submit supporting documents for you.

VA loan eligibility for spouses

You may be able to get a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) if you’re the surviving spouse of a Veteran, the spouse of a Veteran who’s missing in action, or the spouse of someone being held as a prisoner of war (POW). To qualify, at least one of the following must be true of the Veteran:

• The Veteran is missing in action
• The Veteran is a prisoner of war (POW)
• The Veteran died while in service or from a service-connected disability and you didn’t remarry
• The Veteran died while in service or from a service-connected disability and you didn’t remarry before you were 57 years old or before December 16, 2003
• The Veteran had been totally disabled and then died, but their disability may not have been the cause of death (in certain situations)

There is a stipulation that a surviving spouse who remarried before December 16, 2003, and on or after their 57th birthday, must have applied no later than December 15, 2004, to establish home loan eligibility. The VA will deny applications received after December 15, 2004, from surviving spouses who remarried before December 16, 2003.

VA loan eligibility in other situations

If you don’t meet the minimum service requirements, you may still be eligible for a VA loan if one of the following is true:

• You’re a U.S. citizen who served in the Armed Forces of a government allied with the United States in World War II
• You served as a Public Health Service officer
• You served as a Cadet at the United States Military, Air Force, or Coast Guard Academy
• You served as a Midshipman at the United States Naval Academy
• You served as an Officer of the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
• You served as a Merchant seaman during World War II

Certificate of Eligibility (COE): what to know

Once you’ve confirmed that you are eligible, to get a VA home loan, you’ll need to request your COE.

How to request your COE

Usually, you can do this online. You must have certain paperwork or documentation on hand to get your COE. We lay out what’s needed depending on your military status below.

Request your COE online

You can log in to your VA account online to request your COE, check if you already have a COE, download a COE if you already have one, and check the status of a COE request. Requesting a COE online is usually the easiest and quickest way to get your COE.

Other ways to request your COE

You can ask your lender if they can help with requesting your COE. Sometimes they may have access via an online system (the system is called Web LGY) to get your COE.

Additionally, you can request your COE by mail. To do this, you’ll need to fill out a Request for a Certificate of Eligibility (VA Form 26-1880) and mail it to the address for your regional loan center. The address of your regional loan center is on the last page of the form. It’s important to note that the VA website states that mailed requests may take longer than requesting a COE online or through your lender.

What documentation you need when requesting a COE

Based on your status, you’ll need to have the following documentation to request your COE:

If you don’t have your service documentation, you can usually request your military service records online.

Can you reuse a COE?

This is a common question, but it’s more accurately called restoring your VA loan entitlement. You may be able to “restore” an entitlement you used in the past to buy another home with a VA direct or VA-backed loan if at least one of these requirements are met:

• You sold the home you bought with the prior loan and have paid that loan in full
• A qualified Veteran-transferee agrees to assume your loan and substitute their entitlement for the same amount of entitlement you used originally
• You’ve repaid your prior loan in full, but haven’t sold the home you bought with that loan (you can only do this one time)

To request restoring your entitlement, you’ll need to complete a Request for a Certificate of Eligibility (VA Form 26-1880) and send it to the VA regional loan center for your state.

VA loan eligibility: qualifying with a VA lender

As with any mortgage, you will still need to apply with a lender. The VA is backing a portion of your VA home loan, but a lender like USAA Bank will originate the loan. The amount you’re eligible for with your VA loan will depend on a few factors, such as the lender’s requirements, your income, the home’s price, and the home’s location. Your USAA Bank lending team can answer any questions about this process.

Get started with the VA loan process

If you think a VA home loan might be right for you, or even if you have a few questions, you can speak to your loan officer at USAA Bank. If you’re interested in learning about what options are available to you, submit our form, and we’ll be in touch to discuss the VA loan benefits you’ve earned.

Tools and resources provided by USAA Federal Savings Bank should be considered general advice and for informational purposes only. All information is subject to change without notice and may not apply to all members. Products, services or features mentioned may not be offered by USAA Federal Savings Bank. The information contained is not intended to represent any endorsement, expressed or implied, by USAA Federal Savings Bank or any affiliates. 

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