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Your VA entitlement is the amount VA promises to repay your lender if your loan goes unpaid. If you have never used your benefit, or VA has restored what you used, you have full entitlement and VA sets no loan limit. If part of your entitlement is still tied to an earlier loan, VA uses your county loan limit to figure what you have left. Use the calculator below, then read how VA runs the numbers.
VA remaining entitlement calculator
Tell us about your past VA loans. If you still have entitlement tied up, enter two numbers and the calculator applies VA's 25% rule.
- Remaining entitlement
- Most you could borrow with $0 down
Estimate for education only, not a Loan Estimate, approval or offer of credit. VA confirms your entitlement on your COE. The loan amount you qualify for also depends on your credit, income, debts, the appraisal and the loan program's rules.
Sources: VA home loan entitlement and limits, VA.gov; VA Lender's Handbook (M26-7), Chapter 3; M26-7, Chapter 2. Rules checked on October 22, 2026.
What your entitlement covers
VA guarantees part of each VA loan, and that guarantee lets lenders offer loans with no down payment. With full entitlement, your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) shows $36,000 of basic entitlement. That figure is not the most you can borrow. On a loan over $144,000, VA guarantees up to 25% of the loan amount.
Full entitlement means no VA loan limit
You have full entitlement if you have never used your VA benefit, or if VA has restored all the entitlement you used. With it, VA puts no cap on your loan amount. Your lender still decides how much you can borrow from your credit, income, debts and assets. VA also caps any loan at the appraised value or the purchase price, whichever is lower.
How VA figures remaining entitlement
The county loan limit matters when you still have entitlement tied to a VA loan you plan to keep, or to an earlier loan VA never restored. VA's steps:
• Find the entitlement already in use. Your COE lists it in the Entitlement Charged column of its table of prior loans.
• Look up the one-unit loan limit for the county where you plan to buy. VA's limits match the conforming loan limits the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) publishes. Use the one-unit limit even for a 2- to 4-unit home.
• Multiply the county limit by 25%.
• Subtract the entitlement in use. What remains is your remaining entitlement.
VA gives this example. A Veteran has $50,000 of entitlement in use and buys in a county with a $900,000 one-unit limit. $900,000 × 25% = $225,000, and $225,000 minus $50,000 leaves $175,000 of remaining entitlement.
The 25% rule and your $0-down limit
Most lenders want your entitlement, a down payment or both to cover at least 25% of the loan. Multiply your remaining entitlement by 4 to find the most you could borrow with no money down. In VA's example, $175,000 × 4 = $700,000. To borrow more than that, you would add a down payment.
Loans of $144,000 or less
VA's Lender's Handbook uses a separate rule for loans of $144,000 or less. For those, VA starts from the $36,000 basic entitlement and subtracts the entitlement in use. If you have more than $36,000 in use, you have no entitlement left for a loan that size. The calculator checks both rules for you.
Getting used entitlement back
VA restores entitlement you used on an earlier loan when one of these is true:
• You sold the home and paid off the loan.
• A qualified Veteran assumed your loan and substituted their own entitlement.
• You paid off the loan but kept the home. VA allows this one-time restoration only once.
You can request a restoration when you request your COE: online at VA.gov, through your loan officer, or by mailing VA Form 26-1880.
Our VA entitlement and second VA loans guide covers entitlement in more detail, including how to keep one VA loan and buy with another.
Key points
• Full entitlement means VA sets no loan limit.
• Remaining entitlement = the county one-unit limit × 25%, minus the entitlement in use.
• Remaining entitlement × 4 = the most you could borrow with $0 down at most lenders.
• Your COE shows the entitlement in use.
• Selling the home and paying off the loan lets VA restore your entitlement.
Questions, answered
How do I calculate my remaining VA entitlement?
Multiply the one-unit loan limit for your county by 25%, then subtract the entitlement already in use from your Certificate of Eligibility. VA's example: $900,000 × 25% = $225,000. Subtract $50,000 in use, and $175,000 remains.
Is there a VA loan limit?
Not if you have full entitlement. You have full entitlement if you have never used your VA benefit, or if VA has restored the entitlement you used. If some of your entitlement is tied to another loan, VA uses the county loan limit to figure what you have left.
How much can I borrow with no down payment if I have remaining entitlement?
Multiply your remaining entitlement by 4. Most lenders want your entitlement to cover 25% of the loan when you put nothing down. With $175,000 remaining, that comes to $700,000. Your credit, income and the appraisal also limit the loan.
Where do I find the entitlement I have already used?
On your Certificate of Eligibility (COE). The table of prior loans charged to entitlement lists it in the Entitlement Charged column. You can request your COE online at VA.gov, or your loan officer can request it through VA's system.
Can I have two VA loans at the same time?
Yes, if you have enough remaining entitlement and you plan to live in the new home. You can keep your current VA loan and use the entitlement you have left on the new one. The entitlement on the loan you keep stays in use until VA restores it.
More VA loan guides
VA home loans · VA entitlement and second VA loans · Am I eligible for a VA loan? · VA loan tools · VA funding fee calculator · VA loan assumption · VA closing costs · Ask a loan officer
Talk your entitlement through with FLO Mortgage
Call our Flagler Beach team at (386) 882-9980. We can request your COE and go over your entitlement with you. Loans are subject to credit approval and program guidelines.
Disclosure: This page is general information only and is not a commitment to lend or financial advice. The calculator gives an estimate for education only, not a Loan Estimate or offer of credit. All loans are subject to credit approval and program guidelines. FLO Mortgage is licensed as a mortgage lender in Florida (MLD2621) and Georgia (#1835856), Company NMLS #1835856; Broker Owner Joy McCoy Flores, NMLS #1096400. Equal Housing Opportunity. 212 Moody Blvd, Flagler Beach, FL 32136. (386) 882-9980. FLO Mortgage is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.