Who Qualifies For A VA Loan?
For those who are eligible, VA loans are attractive because they don’t require a down payment. They also have lower interest rates than many other types of mortgage loans you can get for similar terms. They don’t have monthly mortgage insurance.
Although lenders set their own requirements for certain aspects of qualification, VA loans have more lenient credit requirements than many other mortgage programs.
Not all who have served in the Armed Forces qualify for a VA loan. You must meet at least one of the following criteria to qualify:
- You’ve served 181 days of active service during peacetime.
- You’ve served 90 consecutive days of active service during wartime.
- You’ve served more than 6 years of service with the National Guard or Reserves or 90 days under Title 32 with at least 30 of those days being consecutive.
- You’re the spouse of a service member who lost their life in the line of duty or as the result of a service-connected disability. You generally cannot have remarried, although there are exceptions, as well as other requirements for a spouse getting a VA loan.
Service requirements for Veterans and service members on active duty
| When did you serve? | You meet the minimum active-duty service requirement if you served for at least this amount of time: |
|---|---|
| Between September 16, 1940, and July 25, 1947 (WWII) | 90 total days, or Less than 90 days if you were discharged for a service-connected disability |
| Between July 26, 1947, and June 26, 1950 (post-WWII period) | 181 continuous days, or Less than 181 days if you were discharged for a service-connected disability |
| Between June 27, 1950, and January 31, 1955 (Korean War) | 90 total days, or Less than 90 days if you were discharged for a service-connected disability |
| Between February 1, 1955, and August 4, 1964 (post-Korean War period) | 181 continuous days, or Less than 181 days if you were discharged for a service-connected disability |
| Between August 5, 1964, and May 7, 1975 (Vietnam War), or Between November 1, 1955, to May 7, 1975, if you served in the Republic of Vietnam | 90 total days, or Less than 90 days if you were discharged for a service-connected disability |
| Between May 8, 1975, and September 7, 1980 (post-Vietnam War period), or Between May 8, 1975, and October 16, 1981, if you served as an officer | 181 continuous days, or Less than 181 days if you were discharged for a service-connected disability |
| Between September 8, 1980, and August 1, 1990, or Between October 17, 1981, and August 1, 1990, if you served as an officer | 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 for a hardship, or a reduction in force, or Less than 181 days if you were discharged for a service-connected disability |
| Between August 2, 1990, and the present (Gulf War period to present) | 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 for a hardship, or a reduction in force, or Less than 90 days if you were discharged for a service-connected disability |
| I’m on active duty now | 90 continuous days |
Service requirements for National Guard members
| When did you serve? | You meet the minimum active-duty service requirement if you served for at least this amount of time: |
|---|---|
| Between August 2, 1990, and November 11, 1998 (Gulf War), or Between November 12, 1998, and the present (post-Gulf War period) | 90 days of active-duty service |
| Any time period | At least 90 days of non-training active-duty 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 were discharged honorably or placed on the retired list |
| Service requirements for Reserve members | |
| When did you serve? | You meet the minimum active-duty service requirement if you served for at least this amount of time: |
| Between August 2, 1990, and November 11, 1998 (Gulf War), or Between November 12, 1998, and the present (post-Gulf War period) | 90 days of active-duty service |
| Any time period | At least 90 days of non-training active-duty service, or6 creditable years in the Selected Reserve, and one of these descriptions is true for you At least one of these must be true: You were discharged honorably, or You were placed on the retired list, or You were transferred to the Standby Reserve or an element of the Ready Reserve other than the Selected Reserve after service characterized as honorable, or You continue to serve in the Selected Reserve |