VA Loan Eligibility. Who Qualifies in 2026

By Mike Certo, Cornerstone First Mortgage · NMLS #260555 · Updated May 23, 2026

Program figures verified July 2026, details change; confirm your scenario with us.

The 60-second answer

VA loans are available to Veterans, active-duty service members at Virginia posts like Naval Station Norfolk and the Pentagon, certain reservists and Virginia National Guard members, and qualifying surviving spouses. Eligibility requires (a) qualifying military service, (b) an honorable discharge or current good standing, and (c) enough remaining VA entitlement to cover the home you want in Hampton Roads, Richmond, or Northern Virginia.

Buying your first home? The VA first-time home buyer qualifications guide walks the service-based requirements and the step-by-step path to closing on a Virginia Beach or Chesapeake home.

The official confirmation of eligibility is the Certificate of Eligibility (COE), issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and a Virginia buyer needs it in hand before writing an offer in Alexandria or Newport News. You have two paths to get it:

Self-serve through the VA. The fastest path if you already have a va.gov account and your DD-214. Use the official request a COE portal at va.gov.
Have Mike pull it for you. Through the origination platform. Standard cases come back in 24-48 hours at no cost to you. Mike just needs basic service info to submit the request.

Complex cases such as restored entitlement, a prior foreclosure, or certain Virginia Guard scenarios can take 2-6 weeks for the VA to process either way. If your situation involves anything unusual, a Virginia Veterans Service Organization can also help; the VA accredited representatives directory has a searchable list.

This page walks a Virginia Veteran through the four main eligibility paths, the COE process, the surprises that catch Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia borrowers off guard, and what to do when something does not fit the standard categories.

Path 1. Veterans (separated from active duty)

Most VA loan borrowers we work with in Virginia fall into this category, from Norfolk shipyard retirees to Fort Gregg-Adams Army Veterans who settled near Petersburg. To qualify based on prior active-duty service:

Wartime service

If you served active duty during wartime (defined dates per the VA), you need:

At least 90 continuous days of active duty service, AND
Honorable or general-under-honorable conditions discharge

Wartime periods recognized by VA include:

World War II (Sep 16, 1940 - Jul 25, 1947)
Korean War (Jun 27, 1950 - Jan 31, 1955)
Vietnam War (Feb 28, 1961 - May 7, 1975)
Gulf War (Aug 2, 1990 - present, by Executive Order, still officially a wartime period in 2026)

Peacetime service

If you served entirely during peacetime, you need:

At least 181 continuous days of active duty service, AND
Honorable or general-under-honorable conditions discharge

Pre-1980 service

For service that started before September 8, 1980 (enlisted) or before October 16, 1981 (officer), the 90/181-day threshold applies but other rules may vary. Discharge status review is more lenient for older service, which comes up often with Vietnam-era Veterans now retiring around Virginia Beach and Williamsburg. Mike can walk through your specific case before you shop a Hampton Roads listing.

Path 2. Active-duty service members

You don't need to wait for separation to use your VA benefit, which is why so many junior Sailors buy their first home while stationed at Naval Station Norfolk or NAS Oceana. Active-duty service members are eligible once you've completed:

90 days of continuous active-duty service, regardless of war or peace period

You don't need a discharge to qualify, your active-duty status itself confirms eligibility. PCSing to Virginia and want to buy near Naval Station Norfolk, JB Langley-Eustis, the Pentagon, or NAS Oceana? The 90-day threshold is the minimum; most active-duty members are well past it by the time they get PCS orders. If your orders point to the Richmond area, here is a rundown of VA home loans near Fort Gregg-Adams (Fort Lee), including the 2026 BAH and typical prices.

Special note: BAH counts as income

When you're active duty applying for a VA loan, your Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) counts as qualifying income, and in the higher-BAH Pentagon and Quantico housing areas that can swing what you afford by a wide margin. Your effective qualifying income is base pay plus BAH, BAS, special pays, and spouse income, which for a dual-income Arlington household often runs well above the gross W-2 figure alone.

Path 3. National Guard and Reserves

This is the path with the most confusion for Virginia Guard and Reserve members, so it is worth being precise.

National Guard members and Reservists called to active duty

If you were activated under Title 10 orders for at least 90 continuous days, you qualify under the same rules as active-duty members, a common path for Virginia Army National Guard soldiers who deployed. The activation orders prove the qualifying service.

National Guard and Reserve members not activated

If you served only as a "weekend warrior", drilling reservist or guardsman without being called to active duty, eligibility requires:

6 years Of honorable service in the Selected Reserve OR
Discharged for service-connected disability, OR
Continuing service in the Selected Reserve

This longer threshold reflects the lower service commitment of non-activated reserve service. Plenty of Virginia reservists drilling out of Fort Belvoir or Norfolk hit this six-year mark and never realize they became VA loan eligible.

Combined service

If you have a mix of active-duty and reserve time, the active-duty time alone may qualify you if it meets the 90/181 thresholds. Combined time counts for some purposes, like calculating entitlement. Mike untangles these mixed histories regularly for Hampton Roads Veterans who moved between the fleet and the Reserve.

Path 4. Surviving spouses

The surviving spouse benefit is one of the more important VA programs and one of the most underused, and Virginia's dense military communities around Norfolk and Hampton hold many spouses who qualify without knowing it. Eligibility requires:

You are the un-remarried spouse Of a Veteran who died on active duty, OR
You are the un-remarried spouse Of a Veteran who died from a service-connected disability, OR
You are the spouse of a service member listed as MIA or POW for at least 90 days

Surviving spouse + remarriage

Remarriage after age 57, and on or after December 16, 2003, does NOT terminate VA loan benefit eligibility, a 2003 statutory change that many surviving spouses in Virginia Beach and Chesapeake have never heard about. If you remarried after age 57, you may still qualify to buy near the Hampton VA Medical Center. Verify through your COE application.

Surviving spouse + multiple deceased Veterans

If you've been the spouse of multiple deceased eligible Veterans, the entitlement comes from the last-married eligible Veteran. This rarely matters, but it occasionally does in the second-marriage cases we see across Hampton Roads.

Pulling your Certificate of Eligibility (COE)

The COE is the VA's official document confirming your eligibility. Three ways to get it:

1. Through your lender (fastest, what Mike will do)

VA-approved lenders like Cornerstone can pull your COE through the VA's online portal in 24-48 hours for most cases, fast enough to keep pace with a tight Northern Virginia offer deadline. You give the lender your basic service information (dates of service, branch, service number, discharge type), and the lender requests the COE on your behalf. Free to you; no Mike fee.

For complex cases (prior VA loans, partial entitlement, foreclosure history), the automated process may kick the request to manual review, which can take 2-6 weeks. Mike will tell a Fairfax or Norfolk buyer up front if their case is likely to go to manual.

2. Through eBenefits / VA.gov

You can pull your own COE through your VA.gov account if you have one. Log in at va.gov, navigate to "Home Loans," and request your COE. Same 24-48 hour turnaround for standard cases.

3. By mail

You can mail VA Form 26-1880 (Request for a Certificate of Eligibility) to the VA. This is the slowest path (4-8 weeks) and only worth using if the online methods fail for some reason.

What documents you'll need

For the lender or VA.gov request:

For separated Veterans: DD Form 214 (Member 4 copy with discharge details) for all periods of service
For active duty: Statement of Service from your unit personnel office (the format: "X has served continuously on active duty since [date], is in good standing, and is expected to remain on active duty until at least [date]")
For Guard/Reserve: NGB Form 22 (Guard) or equivalent (Reserve), showing 6+ years of qualifying service
For surviving spouses: VA Form 26-1817, plus the Veteran's DD Form 214 and proof of marriage and the Veteran's death

If you don't have your DD-214 and don't know where it is, the National Archives can provide a replacement through eVetRecs at archives.gov. Allow 4-12 weeks, so a Veteran targeting a spring purchase in Suffolk should request it early.

Understanding entitlement

VA "entitlement" is the dollar amount of guarantee you've earned through service. The VA guarantees 25% of any loss to the lender, which is what lets a Virginia Beach or Richmond Veteran buy with $0 down.

Basic entitlement vs bonus entitlement

Basic entitlement: $36,000 (the historic baseline)
Bonus entitlement: Up to $144,000 additional (added in 2019)
Total maximum entitlement: $180,000

Most Virginia VA borrowers in 2026 have full entitlement, so the lender's exposure is fully covered up to the 2026 baseline limit of $832,750, and up to $1,249,125 in the high-cost Northern Virginia counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William.

When entitlement gets reduced

Your entitlement is "used" when:

You have an active VA loan on a property you still own
You sold a VA-financed property using assumption (the assuming buyer used your entitlement to qualify)
You had a prior VA foreclosure or short sale where VA paid a claim

Used entitlement is "restored" when:

You pay off the prior VA loan in full
You sell the property to a buyer who isn't using their VA loan to assume yours
You file a one-time restoration through the VA (different process for different situations)

Multiple VA loans simultaneously

You can carry two or more VA loans at once if you have enough remaining entitlement to cover them, which is common for a Sailor who keeps a Norfolk home and buys again after PCS orders. Common scenarios:

PCS move: You keep your original home as a rental and buy a new home at your new duty station
Investment: Less common, but possible if you have substantial unused entitlement
Second home (vacation): Not allowed. VA requires primary residence

Multiple-VA-loan scenarios require careful entitlement math. Mike has run this several times for active-duty members PCSing into Naval Station Norfolk and Joint Base Langley-Eustis while holding a home elsewhere.

Common eligibility surprises

Surprise 1: General-under-honorable discharge usually qualifies

Many Veterans with general-under-honorable discharges assume they're disqualified. They're usually not, and we see this often with Hampton Roads Veterans who ruled themselves out for years. The VA determines eligibility on character of service, not just discharge type: general-under-honorable typically qualifies, while bad-conduct and dishonorable typically don't. Specific discharge upgrades through the Discharge Review Board are sometimes possible.

Surprise 2: 8 years of Guard service counts even if all weekend duty

You don't need to be activated to qualify once you complete six-plus years of honorable Selected Reserve service. Many Virginia reservists who never deployed assume they're not eligible to buy in Woodbridge or Stafford. They are.

Surprise 3: Prior foreclosure doesn't permanently disqualify you

A VA loan foreclosure reduces your entitlement temporarily but doesn't disqualify you permanently. After the original loan is fully paid (often by the VA paying a guarantee claim), and after a typical seasoning period of 2-3 years, restored entitlement is available. Mike has helped Norfolk and Richmond Veterans recover from a prior VA foreclosure into a new VA loan.

Surprise 4: Active-duty members can use VA loans for primary residence even at temporary duty stations

If you're on a three-year PCS at Naval Station Norfolk, the home you buy in Virginia Beach or Chesapeake is your primary residence under VA rules, even though your "permanent" home of record might be elsewhere. Buy at your duty station, occupy the home, then convert it to a rental when the Navy moves you out of Hampton Roads.

Surprise 5: Surviving spouses often don't know they qualify

If you're the surviving spouse of a Veteran whose death was service-connected, or who died on active duty, you have full VA loan benefits available, often paired with Virginia's §58.1-3219.9 line-of-duty property tax exemption. Many surviving spouses across Norfolk and Newport News never realize this. If that's you, pull your COE and Mike will do it for free, no obligation.

What to do if you're not eligible

If standard VA eligibility doesn't fit your situation, a Virginia buyer still has good options:

Conventional loans: 3-5% down, PMI required below 20% down, but available to almost anyone with adequate credit and income
FHA loans: 3.5% down, MIP for the life of the loan in most cases, lenient credit standards
First-time buyer programs: Virginia Housing programs (DPA Grant, Closing Cost Assistance, Plus Second) and others can help with down payment assistance
Down payment assistance + conventional combo: bundle Down Payment Assistance (DPA) with conventional financing to get into a home with minimal cash out of pocket

Mike originates the full menu across Virginia, not just VA loans. If the VA path doesn't work for your Hampton Roads or Richmond purchase, we'll find the option that does.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to get my COE in Virginia?

For standard cases through a VA-approved lender like Cornerstone: 24-48 hours, quick enough for a competitive Northern Virginia offer. For complex cases such as partial entitlement, a prior foreclosure, or a restoration request: 2-6 weeks. For surviving-spouse applications: 4-8 weeks, since manual review is almost always required. Mike tells a Norfolk or Fairfax buyer up front which bucket their case falls into.

Can I get a VA loan in Virginia with a credit score of 580?

Yes, generally. The VA itself sets no minimum credit score; that is a lender overlay. Cornerstone and most VA lenders accept 580+, so a Hampton Roads buyer at 580 usually still qualifies. Below 580 gets harder, though some lenders go down to 500 with compensating factors. The funding fee and pricing may be slightly higher at lower scores. Mike will tell you what you are realistically looking at in this Virginia market.

Does my spouse need to be on the VA loan in Virginia?

No. The Veteran is the borrower. In Virginia the spouse can be:

A co-borrower (improves DTI if the spouse has income; both names on the loan)
A non-borrower spouse (their income doesn't count, and Virginia is an equitable-distribution common-law state, not a community-property state, so spousal-signature rules are simpler here than in those states)
Off the loan entirely

Because Virginia is not a community-property state, spouse considerations are usually straightforward, which smooths closings from Arlington to Virginia Beach. Mike will walk through your specific situation.

What if my discharge was less than honorable?

For general-under-honorable: usually still qualify. For other-than-honorable: case-by-case, with the VA making a character-of-service determination. For bad-conduct or dishonorable: typically disqualified, though discharge upgrades are sometimes possible through the Discharge Review Board. A Virginia Veterans Service Organization, such as an American Legion, VFW, or DAV post across Hampton Roads, can help with an upgrade.

Can I use my VA loan twice in the same year in Virginia?

Theoretically yes, if you have enough entitlement and both are primary residences, which realistically only happens when a PCS or major life change moves you between two Virginia duty stations. Lenders scrutinize the second loan heavily to confirm the second property, say a home near Quantico, is a genuine primary residence and not an investment.

What's the difference between basic eligibility and "loan eligibility"?

Basic eligibility is your fundamental qualification to use the VA loan benefit (service requirements, discharge type, etc.). Loan eligibility is whether you specifically qualify for this loan, credit, income, DTI, property eligibility, etc. The COE confirms basic eligibility. The full underwriting process confirms loan eligibility.

Talk to Mike about your specific situation

VA eligibility is worth a real conversation, because the edges of the rules are exactly where Virginia Veterans get turned away for no good reason. A 15-minute call with our team usually answers the question before you tour a single Virginia Beach listing.

Talk to Mike, free, no pressure

(480) 296-6513 · NMLS #260555

Sources

Mike Certo NMLS #260555 · Cornerstone First Mortgage NMLS #173855 · Equal Housing Lender. Educational content, not a loan commitment. VA eligibility determinations are made by the Department of Veterans Affairs; Mike facilitates the COE process through Cornerstone as a VA-approved lender. For complex eligibility questions (discharge upgrades, restoration of entitlement after foreclosure, surviving spouse claims with multiple deceased Veterans), consult a Veterans Service Organization or VA-accredited attorney.