Backed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, VA loans are a benefit for active-duty and veteran military service members and some surviving spouses. To be eligible for a VA loan, you or your spouse must meet the minimum service requirements set by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), have a valid Certificate of Eligibility (COE), and satisfy the lender's credit and income requirements.

A VA loan is a mortgage that benefits individuals who have served in the U.S. military. By guaranteeing a percentage of every VA home loan, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs lessens the risk to lenders. To be eligible for a VA loan, you or your spouse must meet the minimum service requirements listed below.1. You are on active duty and have served 90 continuous days.2. You are a veteran who meets length-of-service requirements, which generally are 90 days in wartime and 181 days in peacetime.3. You completed 90 days of active-duty service or six creditable years in the Selected Reserve or National Guard.4. You are the surviving spouse of a veteran who died while in service or from a service-connected disability and you have not remarried. 5. Spouses of service members missing in action or prisoners of war are also eligible.