Who’s Eligible for a VA Loan?
Before we get into it, we need to say this up front: being eligible doesn’t automatically mean you’ll be approved. Like any home loan, your credit, credit history, job status, income, and overall financial picture still matter. A lender has to feel confident you can (and will) repay the loan.
With that out of the way, let’s get started.
Required length for eligibility is basically split into two categories: “Wartime” and “Peacetime”. Here are the official dates for each laid out by the Department of Veteran Affairs. These are accurate as of this writing, but check VA.gov for the most up-to-date criteria.
Currently Serving
- Military members who are currently on active duty are eligible if they have served for at least 90 continuous days without breaks.
Veterans
You meet the minimum active-duty service requirement if you served for:
- At least 24 continuous months, or
- The full period (at least 90 days) for which you were called or ordered to active duty, or
- At least 90 days if you were discharged under a qualifying exception, or
- Less than 90 days if you were discharged for a service-connected disability
You meet the minimum active-duty service requirement if you served for:
- At least 24 continuous months, or
- The full period (at least 181 days) for which you were called to active duty, or
- At least 181 days if you were discharged under a qualifying exception, or
- Less than 181 days if you were discharged for a service-connected disability
You meet the minimum active-duty service requirement if you served for:
- At least 24 continuous months, or
- The full period (at least 181 days) for which you were called to active duty, or
- At least 181 days if you were discharged under a qualifying exception, or
- Less than 181 days if you were discharged for a service-connected disability
You meet the minimum active-duty service requirement if you served for:
- 181 continuous days, or
- Less than 181 days if you were discharged for a service-connected disability
You meet the minimum active-duty service requirement if you served for:
- 181 continuous days, or
- Less than 181 days if you were discharged for a service-connected disability
You meet the minimum active-duty service requirement if you served for:
- At least 90 total days, or
- Less than 90 days if you were discharged for a service-connected disability
You meet the minimum active-duty service requirement if you served for:
- At least 90 total days, or
- Less than 90 days if you were discharged for a service-connected disability
You meet the minimum active-duty service requirement if you served for:
- At least 181 total days, or
- Less than 181 days if you were discharged for a service-connected disability
You meet the minimum active-duty service requirement if you served for:
- At least 90 total days, or
- Less than 90 days if you were discharged for a service-connected disability
You meet the minimum active-duty service requirement if you served for:
- At least 181 continuous days, or
- Less than 181 days if you were discharged for a service-connected disability
You meet the minimum active-duty service requirement if you served for:
- At least 90 total days, or
- Less than 90 days if you were discharged for a service-connected disability
National Guard Members
- You meet the minimum active-duty service requirement if you served for:
- At least 90 days of non-training active-duty Title 10 service, or
- 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 activation), or
- 6 creditable years in the National Guard, and you continue to serve, or
- 6 creditable years in the National Guard and you were discharged honorably or placed on the retired list
Reserves
You meet the minimum length of service requirement if you served for:
- At least 90 days of non-training active-duty service, or
- 6 creditable years in the Selected Reserve, and you continue to serve, or
- 6 creditable years in the Selected Reserve and you were discharged honorably or placed on the retired list
Surviving Spouses
You may be able to get a COE if you’re a surviving spouse and one of these is true for you:
- You’re eligible for or currently receiving certain types of VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), or
- You’re the spouse of an active-duty service member who’s missing in action (MIA) or being held as a prisoner of war (POW)
Other Eligible Members
A person may be eligible if he or she was or is a:
- Public Health Service officer
- Cadet at the United States Military, Air Force, or Coast Guard Academy
- Midshipman at the United States Naval Academy
- Officer of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Merchant seaman during World War II
Exceptions
If the Veteran served on active duty for at least 24 months during wartime (or 90 days depending on context — see Veterans details above) or 181 days during peacetime before being discharged, he or she may be eligible — as long as the discharge was not dishonorable. It should be noted that the VA may look further into eligibility based on discharge circumstances.
Since there are a number of exceptions for VA Home Loans, we recommend that you contact one of our VA-savvy agents to help you figure out whether or not you’re eligible.
Certificate of Eligibility (COE)
The Certificate of Eligibility is an official document that proves you’re eligible for a VA loan. Although it’s required, you don’t have to have it in hand to start the VA loan process. If you’re looking to buy a home in Michigan, we suggest connecting with one of our VA-knowledgeable agents to help you get your COE. You can also request one online through VA.gov.
Veterans who have found a trusted VA lender can ask their loan officer to request their COE electronically as well.
Keep in mind: a COE does not guarantee you a VA loan. It’s an important step, but you still need to be prequalified, pre-approved, and officially approved by the lender before you can purchase a home with a VA loan. We know it can feel like a lot — but we’ll guide you step-by-step so you’re not going into anything blindly.
Reach out any time to get started — VA loans are what we do.