VA home loans for surviving spouses
Eligible surviving spouses can use the VA home loan benefit to buy, build or refinance, and those receiving DIC pay no funding fee.
Written by the FLO Mortgage team · Licensed mortgage broker, NMLS #1835856 · Updated October 2026
★★★★★ 5.0 on Google from 160+ clients | Company NMLS #1835856
At a glance
- Unremarried spouses of veterans who died in service or from a service-connected condition
- Remarriage at 57 or older keeps eligibility
- COE through VA Form 26-1817
- Funding fee exempt with DIC
Talk with a licensed loan officer
Eligibility
The VA home loan benefit doesn't end with the veteran. Many surviving spouses can use it to buy a home, build, or refinance, with the same core advantages veterans receive: no monthly mortgage insurance and competitive terms. FLO Mortgage walks surviving spouses through eligibility and the paperwork with patience and care.
Who is eligible
You may be eligible if you have not remarried (or remarried on or after age 57 and on or after December 16, 2003) and one of these applies:
- Your spouse died in service or from a service-connected disability
- Your spouse is missing in action or a prisoner of war (eligibility for one-time use)
- Your spouse was totally disabled and died from any cause, and you qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) under the VA's rules
The VA makes the final eligibility decision. If you're unsure, a loan officer can help you request the certificate and review what the VA needs.
How the process works
- Request your COE. DIC recipients use VA Form 26-1817. Others apply for DIC, and the VA reviews home loan eligibility alongside it.
- Get pre-approved. Your loan officer reviews income, credit and VA residual income.
- Find your home. The home must be your primary residence and meet VA property standards.
- Close. If you receive DIC, there is no funding fee.
Questions, answered
Can a surviving spouse get a VA home loan?
Yes. An unremarried surviving spouse of a veteran who died in service or from a service-connected disability may be eligible, as may spouses of service members missing in action or held as prisoners of war and certain spouses of veterans who were totally disabled.
Can I remarry and keep VA loan eligibility?
If you remarry on or after age 57, and on or after December 16, 2003, you can keep eligibility. Remarriage before 57 generally ends eligibility.
How do I get a Certificate of Eligibility as a surviving spouse?
If you receive Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), you request a COE using VA Form 26-1817. If you don't receive DIC, you apply for DIC and the eligibility review happens together.
Do surviving spouses pay the funding fee?
Surviving spouses who receive DIC are exempt from the VA funding fee.
More VA loan guides
- VA home loans overview
- VA loan questions, answered
- VA loan tools and calculators
- VA home buying roadmap
- VA loans for first-time buyers
- VA loans for active duty
- VA loans for Guard and Reserve
- VA appraisals and property requirements
- VA closing costs and seller concessions
- VA occupancy rules
- VA entitlement and second VA loans
- Assumable VA loans
- VA condos and property types
- VA manual underwriting
- Disabled veteran property tax exemptions
- VA streamline refinance (IRRRL)
- VA cash-out refinance
- VA funding fee exemption
- VA residual income explained
- VA loans after bankruptcy or foreclosure
Local VA loan help
Talk to a FLO Mortgage loan officer
Every FLO loan officer helps veterans, service members and military families with VA loans. Have a question these guides don't answer? Ask our team.
This is not a commitment to lend. All loans are subject to credit approval, underwriting guidelines, property eligibility and program availability. Lender requirements may be stricter than the program guidelines described here. Not all applicants will qualify. Figures reflect 2026 VA guidelines and may change without notice. FLO Mortgage is licensed in Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. Company NMLS #1835856. Equal Housing Opportunity. FLO Mortgage is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or any government agency. Licensing & Disclosures.
Local, licensed help
Talk a VA loan through with a FLO loan officer
Every FLO Mortgage loan officer can walk you through this program, run the numbers for your situation and compare it with your other options. Have questions? Call our main office at (386) 882-9980.
Ready to see your numbers?
Answer a few quick questions and a local loan officer will follow up with your options.