Housing

VA Home Loan Guaranty

A guaranty that helps an eligible veteran, service member, or some surviving spouses buy, build, or refinance a home with a private lender.

Also called: VA loan, home loan, COE, certificate of eligibility, VA home loan.

For: Veteran or service member, survivor.

Where it applies

Applies in states and territories.

Federal

The VA home loan is a guaranty to a private lender. VA is not the usual purchase lender. Eligibility generally follows length and character of service, or a surviving-spouse rule. A disability rating is not the standard gate. The lender still looks at credit and income. VA charges a funding fee on many loans. Some veterans who receive disability compensation, and some surviving spouses, are exempt from that fee. Occupancy rules apply to the property. The funding fee for a first-use purchase with less than 5% down is 2.15% of the loan. The fee table and its exemptions, the streamline refinance (IRRRL), the cash-out refinance and the Native American Direct Loan each have their own entry.

Thresholds

No rating or income gate is recorded. Read the detail and the official source.

Documents the source lists

What the official source lists for an application, and where to get each document. It is a reference read from the source, not a full list of what the office may ask for; check with the office or an accredited representative before you apply. Needed means the source asks for it; Helps means the source calls it optional or says it speeds things up.

Needed DD214 or other separation documents
If you are a veteran, a current or former activated Guard or Reserve member, or a surviving spouse (if available).
Where to get it Download it from milConnect if your branch has it there, or request it from the National Archives. A VA application can ask VA to request it for you.
Listed by VA, How to request a VA home loan Certificate of Eligibility (COE) read 2026-10-10
Needed Statement of service signed by your commander, adjutant or personnel officer
If you are on active duty, or a Guard or Reserve member who has never been activated.
Where to get it Your unit’s personnel office.
Listed by VA, How to request a VA home loan Certificate of Eligibility (COE) read 2026-10-10
Needed NGB Form 22 for each period of Guard service, NGB Form 23 (Retirement Points Statement) and proof of the character of service
If you are a discharged Guard member who was never activated.
Where to get it The personnel office of the state National Guard you served in.
Listed by VA, How to request a VA home loan Certificate of Eligibility (COE) read 2026-10-10
Needed Your latest annual retirement points statement and proof of honorable service
If you are a discharged Reserve member who was never activated.
Where to get it Your Reserve component’s personnel office.
Listed by VA, How to request a VA home loan Certificate of Eligibility (COE) read 2026-10-10
Needed Request for Determination of Loan Guaranty Eligibility, Unmarried Surviving Spouses (VA Form 26-1817)
If you are a surviving spouse receiving DIC.
Where to get it Download it from VA.gov, or ask a VA regional office or an accredited representative for a copy.
Listed by VA, How to request a VA home loan Certificate of Eligibility (COE) read 2026-10-10
Needed Application for DIC, Death Pension and/or Accrued Benefits (VA Form 21P-534EZ)
If you are a surviving spouse not receiving DIC.
Where to get it Download it from VA.gov, or ask a VA regional office or an accredited representative for a copy.
Listed by VA, How to request a VA home loan Certificate of Eligibility (COE) read 2026-10-10
Needed Marriage certificate or license
If you are a surviving spouse not receiving DIC.
Where to get it The vital records office, or the county clerk, where the marriage took place.
Listed by VA, How to request a VA home loan Certificate of Eligibility (COE) read 2026-10-10
Needed The veteran’s death certificate
If you are a surviving spouse not receiving DIC.
Where to get it The vital records office of the state or territory where the death occurred. The funeral home usually orders copies for the family.
Listed by VA, How to request a VA home loan Certificate of Eligibility (COE) read 2026-10-10
Needed Request for a Certificate of Eligibility (VA Form 26-1880)
If you request the COE by mail.
Where to get it Download it from VA.gov, or ask a VA regional office or an accredited representative for a copy.
Listed by VA, How to request a VA home loan Certificate of Eligibility (COE) read 2026-10-10

Sources

VA home loan eligibilityOfficial
VA funding fee and loan closing costsOfficial

Updated

Last updated 2026-10-08.

What changed then:

New official source added: “VA funding fee and loan closing costs”.
Description reworded (1 passage).

Request an update

Out of date, a broken link, or something else wrong? Say what you found, and an editor checks it against the official source.

Disclaimer

VetTOC is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense. Information is for reference only and is not an eligibility determination. Verify with VA, the relevant state or territory, or an accredited VSO.