What Paperwork Is Required For A VA Loan?

To use your VA Loan eligibility, you will need to provide paperwork to the Department of Veterans Affairs as well as your lender.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is in charge of administering the VA Loan program and determining who is eligible to use this benefit. To use the VA Loan, you need to have proof from the Department of Veterans Affairs that you have earned this benefit. This comes from the Certificate of Eligibility (COE).

Obtaining a COE

Your mortgage broker or lender should be able to obtain this for you if they have access to the VA’s portal for lenders.  If you want to obtain a COE for yourself, you need to apply online through the Department of Veterans Affairs’ website. They have a specific portal called eBenefits that you can use to obtain your COE. If you are a Veteran, you will need a copy of your discharge paperwork, your DD-214. This shows your name, dates of active service, and type of discharge. All are needed to determine your eligibility. If you are still serving on active duty, you will need a Statement of Service. It should include your name, social security number, the date that you entered service, and your current command. You can usually obtain a Statement of Service, which is a standard military document, from your administrative or HR department. If you are at a smaller command, you may need to reach out to your regional legal or HR office to generate the Statement of Service.

What’s Next?

Once you have your COE, you will also need your discharge papers (DD-214) and a loan application.  Each lender can put their individual spin on the application, but they almost always include the same information. You will need to provide copies of your recent bank statements, paystubs or W-2s, copies of outstanding debt balances or statements that you obtain within 45 days prior to the application, and other pertinent financial information. If you do plan to put down a down payment, which is not required with the VA Loan, you will need to show where your down payment, earnest money deposit and option fee funds will be coming from prior to getting your loan approved.