Are you a Veteran, Active-Duty service member, Reservist, or member of the National Guard? Discover if your Military service qualifies you for the valuable benefits of a VA Loan.
Explore the eligibility criteria for Active-Duty servicemen and women, Veterans, Reservists, and the National Guard. Then learn how your service history can unlock opportunities for homeownership with a VA Loan.
First: See if You’re Eligible
You may be eligible for VA Home Loan benefits if your military service history fits one of the following descriptions:
Active Military
You must have:
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Served in Active Duty for 90 days during wartime OR
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Served 181 days during peacetime
Military Veterans
You must have:
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Served at least 24 continuous months in active service, OR
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A full period (at least 90 days) for which you were called or ordered to Active Duty, OR
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At least 90 days if discharged for a hardship, a reduction in force, or for the convenience of the government, OR
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Less than 90 days if discharged for a service-connected disability
Reserves and National Guard
If not otherwise eligible under Active Duty or Veteran service requirements above, you may still be eligible if:
• You have completed a total of six credible years of service (member of an Active Unit, attended required weekend drills and two-week active duty for training), and ONE of the following:
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Discharged with an honorable discharge, or
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Placed on the retired list
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Transferred to the Standby Reserve, or an element of the Ready Reserve other than the Selected Reserve, after service characterized as honourable service.
Surviving Spouses
A spouse that is eligible for, or in receipt of, a qualifying DIC benefit award, and:
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Unremarried surviving spouse of a Veteran who died while in service (Active, Reserve,or National Guard) or from a service-connected disability, or
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Unremarried surviving spouse of certain totally disabled (100% rated) Veterans whose disability may not have been the cause of death, or
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Surviving spouse who remarries on or after December 16, 2003, after attaining age 57, or
- Spouse of a living Service member missing in action (MIA) or a prisoner of war (POW) for more than 90 days, for as long as the Service member is in that status (this is one-time use only)
Other Eligible Borrowers
You may be eligible if one of these applies to you:
• A U.S. citizen who served in the Armed Forces of a government allied with the United States in World War II
• Served as a member in certain organizations, such as:
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Cadet at the United States Military, Air Force, or Coast Guard Academy
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Commissioned Officers of the Public Health Service
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Officer of the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
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Midshipman at the United States Naval Academy
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Merchant seaman during World War II
Second: Get your Certificate of Eligibility (COE)
Apply for your COE. This document confirms to lenders that you are eligible for the VA Home Loan benefit.
Apply Online: You can get your COE online at the VA eBenefits portal, or through www.VA.gov where you can log in using your current Digital Service (DS) Logon or by creating a new account using ID.me.
Apply by Mail: Obtaining a COE by mail may take longer than requesting via Internet or VA system. Fill out VA Form 26-1880 (Request for Certificate of Eligibility) and mail to the address of your state listed on the back of the form.
Veterans Affairs Benefits & Services:
Call 1-877-827-3702 Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-9 p.m. ET
Contact Us
Need help getting your COE? We can help!
Email Our Military Family Advisory Council