# VA Loan Requirements 2026: The Complete Checklist
> VA loan requirements for 2026 on one page: service and COE, credit, the 41% DTI guideline, residual income, occupancy, property standards and the funding fee.
Source: https://veteranhomematch.com/learn/va-loan-requirements
*Author:* VeteranHomeMatch Editorial Team
*Reviewed by:* VeteranHomeMatch Editorial Review
*Published:* 2026-10-24
*Updated:* 2026-10-24
---
**VA loan requirements come down to three things VA names itself: you qualify for a Certificate of Eligibility through your service, you meet VA's and your lender's standards for credit and income, and you'll live in the home.** On top of that, the house has to appraise and meet VA's property standards, and you pay a one-time funding fee unless you're exempt. This page is the one-screen checklist for 2026. Each item gets a short answer and a link to the guide that covers it in full.
- **Three core requirements, per VA:** a COE, meeting both VA's and your lender's standards for credit and income, and living in the home.
- **VA sets no minimum credit score.** Lenders do, and VA's own Buyer's Guide says lenders may want 620 unless there's a large down payment.
- **41% DTI is a standard, not a cap.** A higher ratio may be approved with justification, and that extra review isn't needed if your residual income beats VA's table by 20% or more.
- **Residual income is the test most people haven't heard of:** a family of four needs $1,003 to $1,117 a month left over on a loan of $80,000 or more, depending on region.
- **No VA loan limit with full entitlement.** The lower of price or appraised value, and your lender's approval, cap the loan.
- **Funding fee: 2.15% on a first-use purchase with less than 5% down**, waived if you receive VA disability compensation, among other exemptions.
## VA loan requirements at a glance
If you only read one part of this page, read this table. The middle column is VA's rule. The third is where lenders may add their own layer on top, which is why two lenders can give you two different answers.
| Requirement | VA's rule | What lenders may add | Full guide |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Service eligibility | Minimum service for your era, shown on a COE | Nothing; VA issues the COE | [COE eligibility](/learn/coe-eligibility) |
| Credit | No minimum score; you must be a "satisfactory credit risk" | A score floor (VA's guide cites 620 as typical) | [VA loan credit score](/learn/va-loan-credit-score) |
| Debt-to-income | 41% standard, with a path above it | May set a stricter DTI cap | [VA loan DTI limits](/learn/va-loan-dti-limits) |
| Residual income | Regional table by family size and loan amount | Ask each lender | [Residual income chart](/learn/va-residual-income-requirements) |
| Income | Stable and reliable; no minimum salary | Ask each lender | [VA loan income requirements](/learn/va-loan-income-requirements) |
| Occupancy | You certify you'll live there, usually within 60 days | Ask each lender | [VA occupancy rules](/learn/va-loan-occupancy-requirements) |
| Property | VA appraisal and minimum property requirements | Ask each lender | [VA minimum property requirements](/learn/va-minimum-property-requirements) |
| Down payment | None with full entitlement, if price ≤ appraised value | A large down payment may offset a lower score | [Entitlement and county limits](/learn/va-county-loan-limits) |
| Funding fee | 0.5% to 3.3% by loan type and use; some borrowers exempt | Ask each lender | [2026 funding fee](/learn/va-loan-funding-fee-2026) |
New to the program itself, meaning who lends, what VA guarantees and why there's no PMI? Start with [what a VA loan is](/learn/what-is-a-va-loan) and come back here for the checklist.
## 1. Service eligibility and the COE
VA eligibility starts with your service record. VA's [eligibility page](https://www.va.gov/housing-assistance/home-loans/eligibility/) sets these minimums for the most common cases:
- **Service members:** 90 continuous days of active duty.
- **Veterans who served from August 2, 1990 to the present:** 24 continuous months, or the full period (at least 90 days) you were called or ordered to active duty. Less time can qualify if you were discharged for a service-connected disability.
- **National Guard:** 90 days of non-training Title 10 active duty, 90 days of active duty that includes 30 consecutive days under certain Title 32 orders, or 6 creditable years.
- **Reserve members:** 90 days of non-training active duty, or 6 creditable years in the Selected Reserve.
- **Surviving spouses:** if you're eligible for or receive certain DIC, or your spouse is an active-duty member who is missing in action or a prisoner of war.
The six-year Guard and Reserve routes apply if you're still serving or you were honorably discharged or placed on the retired list. Earlier eras have their own minimums, and an other than honorable discharge gets a case-by-case review. The proof is a Certificate of Eligibility, and you can request it online or ask your lender to submit the application for you. Our [COE eligibility decision tree](/learn/coe-eligibility) covers every era.
## 2. Credit: VA has no minimum score
VA's [entitlement page](https://www.va.gov/housing-assistance/home-loans/loan-limits/) puts it directly: "We don't require a minimum credit score, but some lenders do have a requirement, so be sure to contact more than one lender to compare." VA's [Buyer's Guide](https://www.benefits.va.gov/HOMELOANS/documents/docs/VA_Buyers_Guide.pdf) adds that lenders "may want borrowers to have a minimum credit score of 620, unless there is a large down payment."
What VA does require is that you be a satisfactory credit risk, which underwriters judge from your payment history rather than a number. A few rules from [38 CFR 36.4340(g)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/38/36.4340) and the Buyer's Guide:
- Outside of bankruptcy, satisfactory credit is generally considered re-established after 12 months of satisfactory payments, counted from the date the last derogatory item was satisfied.
- A Chapter 7 discharge within the past 12 months generally means the borrower can't yet be found a satisfactory credit risk. A discharge 1 to 2 years back may still be a problem unless credit has been re-established and the bankruptcy was beyond the borrower's control.
- During a Chapter 13 plan, favorable consideration may be given after at least 12 months of satisfactory payments if the trustee or bankruptcy judge approves the new credit.
How underwriters weigh collections, late payments and thin files is in our [VA loan credit score guide](/learn/va-loan-credit-score).
## 3. Income: DTI and residual income
VA doesn't set a minimum salary. Under [38 CFR 36.4340](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/38/36.4340), "the two primary underwriting standards" are the debt-to-income ratio and residual income. Ordinarily you must meet both, but missing one doesn't automatically disqualify you.
### Debt-to-income: 41% is the standard, not a wall
VA's DTI is one ratio: the new payment (principal, interest, taxes, insurance, plus HOA or condo fees) and your long-term debts, divided by gross monthly income. The regulation says "the standard is 41 percent or less." Above that, the loan may be approved if the underwriter's supervisor signs a justification based on compensating factors. If your residual income exceeds VA's guideline by at least 20%, that second-level review isn't required. Lenders may apply a stricter cap of their own. Worked examples at 45% to 60% are in our [VA loan DTI guide](/learn/va-loan-dti-limits).
### Residual income: the money left over
Residual income is what's left each month after your housing costs and other obligations are paid. VA wants it to be enough to cover living expenses, and it publishes minimums by region, household size and loan amount. Everyone in the household counts, including a spouse who isn't on the loan, unless that spouse's own stable income is verified.
Those are the South and Midwest figures. The Northeast and West run higher: a family of four needs $1,025 in the Northeast and $1,117 in the West on a loan of $80,000 or more. For active-duty borrowers and military retirees, the regulation reduces the figure by at least 5% when there's clear indication they'll keep using a nearby base's facilities. The full tables, including the smaller-loan chart and which states fall in which region, are in our [VA residual income chart](/learn/va-residual-income-requirements).
### What counts as income
Income has to be stable and reliable, meaning likely to continue. Verified tax-free income such as certain military allowances can be "grossed up" for the DTI calculation, but only actual income counts toward residual income. Self-employment income is generally considered stable after two years in business. Our [VA loan income requirements guide](/learn/va-loan-income-requirements) covers BAH, disability compensation, overtime and side income.
## 4. Occupancy: you have to live there
Federal law, [38 U.S.C. § 3704(c)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/38/3704), bars a VA purchase or construction loan unless you certify that you intend to occupy the property as your home. VA's Lenders Handbook (Chapter 3) defines the timing: "Occupancy within a 'reasonable time' means within 60 days after the loan closing." A later date can qualify if you certify a specific move-in date tied to a particular future event, but a date more than 12 months after closing "generally cannot be considered reasonable by VA."
A couple of details often get missed. A 2–4 unit property can qualify when one of the units is your home. And if you're on active duty and can't move in because of it, the statute lets your spouse, or a dependent child through your attorney-in-fact or the child's legal guardian, satisfy the requirement. Deployment, retirement dates and refinance rules are in our [VA loan occupancy requirements guide](/learn/va-loan-occupancy-requirements).
## 5. Property: appraisal and minimum property requirements
VA's Buyer's Guide says all VA purchase and cash-out refinance loans require an appraisal by a VA-approved appraiser. The appraisal checks two things: the home's value, and whether it meets VA's minimum property requirements (MPRs). VA's [basic MPR checklist](https://homeloans.va.gov/SAR_TPSS/runtime/pdfs/ja_basicMPRchecklist.pdf) covers items such as heating adequate for "healthful and comfortable living conditions," "a continuing supply of safe and potable water," mechanical systems that are safe to operate, and a roof covering that prevents moisture from getting in.
The appraisal also caps the loan. VA's maximum on a property is the appraised value or the purchase price, whichever is lower. If the appraisal comes in low, you can request a reconsideration of value, renegotiate, or bring cash to closing for the difference. An appraisal isn't a home inspection, and VA recommends getting one as well. The MPR list item by item, including where termite reports are required, is in our [VA minimum property requirements checklist](/learn/va-minimum-property-requirements).
## 6. Funding fee, entitlement and loan limits
These aren't hurdles you pass or fail, but they decide what the loan costs and how much you can borrow with nothing down.
**The funding fee.** VA's [funding fee chart](https://www.va.gov/housing-assistance/home-loans/funding-fee-and-closing-costs/) for purchase loans, effective April 7, 2023:
| Down payment | First use | After first use |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Less than 5% | 2.15% | 3.3% |
| 5% or more | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| 10% or more | 1.25% | 1.25% |
You don't pay it if you receive VA compensation for a service-connected disability, among five exemptions VA lists, which also cover surviving spouses receiving DIC and active-duty members who show a Purple Heart on or before closing. The fee can be financed. On a purchase, it's the only closing cost you can roll into the loan. Price yours with the [VA funding fee calculator](/calculator/funding-fee) or read the [2026 funding fee guide](/learn/va-loan-funding-fee-2026).
**Entitlement and limits.** With full entitlement, VA's page says "You don't have a loan limit (as long as you can afford the loan amount and the property appraisal supports the purchase price of the home)." County limits come into play only when part of your entitlement is still tied up, usually in an open VA loan. Then 25% of the county's one-unit limit minus the entitlement you've used gives your remaining entitlement, and four times that is about the most lenders typically lend with no down payment. Our [VA county loan limits guide](/learn/va-county-loan-limits) runs it with 2026 figures, and the [county loan limit lookup](/calculator/county-loan-limit) finds your county.
Most "VA loan requirements" you'll see quoted online, like a 620 score or a 41% DTI ceiling, are lender policies or VA guidelines that have exceptions. VA's own rules are the ones on this page. If one lender declines you over an overlay, another lender may not have it.
## What to have ready before you apply
The paperwork follows from the requirements above:
1. **Your COE**, or the service documents your lender needs to request it (such as a DD214 for veterans).
2. **Income proof.** VA requires employment income to be verified. Active-duty borrowers use a Leave and Earnings Statement, and VA wants employment verifications and pay stubs no more than 120 days old (180 for new construction). Self-employed borrowers need two years of signed tax returns, a profit-and-loss statement and a balance sheet.
3. **A list of your monthly debts** and any explanation for past credit problems.
4. **Proof of exemption** from the funding fee if it applies, such as a disability compensation award.
## Bottom line
The VA loan requirements in 2026 are short: a COE from qualifying service, credit and income that satisfy VA and your lender, a home you'll live in, and a property that appraises and meets VA's standards. VA sets no minimum score, no minimum salary and, with full entitlement, no loan limit. Many of the hard numbers people quote are lender overlays, and those vary from lender to lender. Our [2-minute eligibility check](/start/loan-purpose) maps your service to the right loan and connects you with a VA-experienced specialist.
## Frequently asked
### What are the basic requirements for a VA loan?
VA lists three for a purchase loan: you qualify for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) based on your service, you meet VA's and your lender's standards for credit, income and any other requirements, and you will live in the home. The home also has to appraise and meet VA's minimum property requirements, and you pay a funding fee unless you're exempt.
### What credit score do I need for a VA loan?
VA doesn't require a minimum credit score. Lenders set their own, and VA's Buyer's Guide says lenders may typically want 620 unless there's a large down payment. Because the floor is a lender choice, it can differ from one lender to the next, so it's worth asking more than one.
### Is 41% the maximum debt-to-income ratio for a VA loan?
No. 41% is VA's standard, not a hard cap. Under 38 CFR 36.4340, a loan above 41% may be approved with a written justification signed by the underwriter's supervisor, and that review isn't required if your residual income beats VA's table by at least 20%. Individual lenders may set stricter limits of their own.
### Is there a minimum income or a loan limit for a VA loan?
VA sets no minimum salary. It looks at your debt-to-income ratio and residual income instead. With full entitlement there's also no VA loan limit; the loan is capped by what your lender approves and by the lower of the purchase price or appraised value. County limits matter only if part of your entitlement is still in use.
### How soon do I have to move into a home bought with a VA loan?
VA's handbook treats moving in within 60 days of closing as a reasonable time. A later date can work if you certify a specific move-in date tied to a particular future event, but a date more than 12 months after closing generally isn't considered reasonable. If you're on active duty and can't move in because of it, a spouse or dependent child can satisfy occupancy.