A VA (Department of Veterans’ Affairs) loan is designed to assist the heroes who served in our armed forces and helped protect our country. Any retired soldier can obtain VA loans, even if they only served during peacetime. There are several eligibility requirements that you should know about when determining of you are eligible for a VA loan.

Retired soldiers who have served a certain span of time are eligible. The required period of time that you must be enlisted varies depending on whether you were active during peacetime or a time of war. During a war, eligibility is given after 90 days of service, but eligibility during peacetime requires 181 continuous days. Wartime and peacetime are actually defined as certain calendar periods. For more information, contact your local VA. It’s important to note that if you were dishonorably discharged, you are ineligible regardless of the amount of time you served.

Some spouses are eligible for VA loans, too. If you are the spouse of a POW or a soldier missing in action, you may be eligible. Also, a spouse (who did not remarry) of a soldier who died while serving, or due to a service related disability, may be eligible. Contact a VA loan official to discuss your eligibility.

If you fulfill the requirements, contact a VA loan organization for a copy of Form 26-1800 (request for a Certificate of Eligibility) and fill it out. You local VA may be able to assist you in finding loans, but they won’t respond to requests for eligibility forms. That must be handled through the actual loan organization.

You are also eligible if you are still currently on active duty, as long as you have served the required number of days (depending on wartime or peacetime). If you aren’t in any of the above categories of eligibility, you can become eligible after serving 6 years on Selected Reserve. This six-year requirement doesn’t have to be consecutive. Again, a dishonorable discharge from the Reserves will make you ineligible.