The VA home loan benefit, from service record to front door
Chapter 5: surviving spouses
Bottom line
Some surviving spouses are eligible for the VA home loan. Generally this includes an unremarried spouse of a service member or veteran who died in service or from a service-connected disability, and some spouses of those missing in action or held as prisoners of war. Eligible surviving spouses are generally exempt from the funding fee.
Last reviewed against the primary sources listed below.
Who may qualify
VA lists the qualifying situations, including remarriage rules, on its surviving spouse page. Read it in full; the rules are specific.
How to apply
Request a Certificate of Eligibility from VA using the survivor process described there. Lenders cannot generate a survivor certificate the same way as a veteran's, so allow extra time.
What veterans and families ask
Can a surviving spouse get a VA home loan?
Yes, in qualifying situations set out by VA, such as when the service member or veteran died in service or from a service-connected disability.
Do surviving spouses pay the VA funding fee?
Eligible surviving spouses are generally exempt. Confirm on your Certificate of Eligibility.