VA Loan Requirements for 2026

VA loans help thousands of military service members and veterans buy homes each year. Here's a look at who can apply and the requirements to qualify for a VA loan.

VA loan eligibility

Backed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, VA loans are a benefit for active-duty and veteran service members and some surviving spouses. You're eligible to apply for a VA loan if:

• You are on active duty and have served 90 continuous days.

• You are a veteran who meets length-of-service requirements, which generally are 90 days in wartime and 181 days in peacetime.

• You completed 90 days of active-duty service or six creditable years in the Selected Reserve or National Guard.

• You are the surviving spouse of a veteran who died while in service or from a service-connected disability and you have not remarried. Or you remarried after age 57 or Dec. 16, 2003. Spouses of service members missing in action or prisoners of war are also eligible.

You may still qualify even if you don't meet the length-of-service requirements in some cases, such as being discharged for a service-connected disability. Check with the VA for details.

You may not be eligible if you received an "other than honorable," bad conduct or dishonorable discharge, although you can apply with the VA to upgrade your discharge status.

» MORE: VA loans: What to know