2025 VA loan spouse requirements

Eligibility for military spouses

A spouse of an active service member or veteran can qualify for a VA loan in specific circumstances. At least one of the following needs to be true to qualify:

• You’re also an active service member or veteran.
• You’re a co-borrower on the loan, your spouse is the primary borrower, and your spouse intends to live in the home (barring deployment).
• You’re a qualifying surviving spouse, in which case you may be able to secure a VA loan as the primary borrower.

Eligibility is also dependent on general requirements for VA loans, like your spouse's service duration. If your spouse is an active service member, they must have served for at least 90 consecutive days for either of you to be eligible. If your spouse is a veteran, eligibility depends on when they served. Check the VA’s website for specifics on time-in-service requirements.

Surviving spouse VA loan eligibility

Even if you’re not an active service member or veteran yourself, you may be able to qualify for a VA loan as the primary borrower if you’re a surviving spouse. Anyone applying for a VA loan for surviving spouses will need a Certificate of Eligibility (COE). The COE proves to lenders that you’re eligible for a VA loan. At least one of the following needs to be true in order to get one:

• Your spouse is missing in action (MIA).
• Your spouse is a prisoner of war (POW).
• Your spouse died in service or from a service-related injury and you haven’t remarried.
• Your spouse was totally disabled and then passed away.

There are some other stipulations you may need to consider if your spouse passed away and you’ve since remarried. If you remarried before you turned 57 and before Dec. 16, 2003, you’re no longer eligible for a COE if you didn’t apply prior to Dec. 15, 2004.

If you meet the requirements above, you have three options to apply for a COE:

• Sign in to your VA.gov account to make the request.
• If you’re already in touch with a lender but don’t have a COE, your lender may be able to apply for one on your behalf.
• Fill out VA Form 26-1880 and mail it to your regional Department of Veterans Affairs office (the last page of the form has addresses based on your location).

Impact of divorce on VA loan eligibility

Divorce complicates VA loan eligibility for both the service member and the spouse. If you previously were married to an active service member or veteran, the entitlement to a VA loan no longer extends to you for new mortgages.

If you’ve divorced from a service member, you’re not eligible for a new VA loan.

If you get divorced and are already the co-borrower on a VA loan, the active service member or veteran will not have entitlement to additional VA loan benefits until the existing loan is refinanced or paid off. As the ex-spouse, you may be able to assume the VA loan if the lender and the VA both approve it.

As an ex-spouse, you’ll either need to assume the VA loan or refinance solely in your name if you want to stay in the home yourself. Otherwise, the active service member or veteran linked to the home must continue residing there.

Credit and income considerations for spouses

Spouses of active service members and veterans do not need to be included on the loan application, but if they are, they must meet credit and income requirements for VA loans to appear as a co-borrower. These vary by lender and state, but the following are general requirements:

• Most lenders require a credit score of 620 or higher, although there is no minimum set by the VA.
• Most lenders require that your collective debt-to-income (DTI) ratio be 41% or lower. Otherwise, you need to meet additional requirements or may not qualify at all.
• There are no specific income requirements, but you should speak with your lender about whether your income and DTI as a civilian will strengthen or weaken your spouse’s VA loan application.

A lender will consider your income as a military spouse the same way they would the primary applicant’s. A higher credit score and lower DTI will generally lead to a higher approval amount and potentially more favorable terms.

Application process for a VA loan with a spouse

If you and your military spouse plan on applying for a VA loan together, you’ll need to provide the following documents to your lender:

• Proof of income for both applicants
• Photo IDs for both applicants
• Proof of address for both applicants
• Copies of credit reports for both applicants
• Marriage certificate
• Proof of service for the active service member or a DD214 for a veteran

You may need to provide other documents, like bank statements, depending on your specific circumstances and your lender’s requirements. If you’re applying for a VA loan as a surviving spouse, you’ll need to give your lender a COE with the documents above.

Once you have all the documents you need, you can move forward with the loan process. Below is a quick breakdown of what to expect from start to finish:

1. Choose a VA-approved lender and provide all required documents.
2. Get a prequalification based on preliminary documentation. This does not guarantee loan approval, but you can start looking for a home based on the amount stated.
3. Provide any additional documents your lender needs to get a more formal preapproval.
4. Find the home you want to buy and secure an accepted offer.
5. Submit a complete loan application to your lender. You may need to provide additional documentation at this point.
6. Schedule the VA appraisal. You can check the VA’s website for appraisal fees and turnaround times based on your location.
7. Wait for the clear to close, then attend the closing to complete the purchase.

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