Your remaining VA loan entitlement

What entitlement is

Entitlement is the amount VA promises your lender it will pay if you do not repay the loan. It is what lets you buy with no down payment. Your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) shows it. Basic entitlement covers loans of $144,000 or less (a full basic entitlement shows as $36,000 on the COE). Bonus entitlement covers loans above $144,000. If you have full entitlement, bonus entitlement usually covers 25 percent of the amount a lender is willing to loan you.

If you have never used it, or got it all back

With full entitlement, VA says you do not have a loan limit, as long as you can afford the loan and the appraisal supports the price. Your lender still has to approve your credit, income, debts and assets.

If you still have a VA loan (or one is not fully restored)

You may have only partial entitlement. Then the county loan limit matters. Here is VA's four-step way to find what is left:

1. Find "Entitlement Charged" on your COE. That is what you already used.
2. Look up the county loan limit (the One-Unit Limit) for the home you want on the FHFA website.
3. Multiply that county limit by 0.25.
4. Subtract the entitlement you already used. The result is your remaining bonus entitlement.

VA's own example: $50,000 already used and a county limit of $900,000. $900,000 x 0.25 = $225,000. $225,000 minus $50,000 = $175,000 remaining bonus entitlement.

Do I need a down payment? Most lenders want your entitlement, your down payment, or both together to cover at least 25 percent of the loan. Multiply your remaining bonus entitlement by 4 to see the largest loan most lenders will do with no down payment. In the example, $175,000 x 4 = $700,000. If you want a bigger loan, you may be able to borrow more than the county limit by putting money down.

How to get used entitlement restored

• One time only: if you paid the earlier VA loan in full but you still own the home, VA can restore your entitlement on a one-time-only basis.
• Sold the home and paid the loan off: your entitlement can normally be restored so you can use it again.
• Sold to another Veteran who took over your loan: that Veteran can substitute their own entitlement for yours, which frees yours up. If the buyer is not a Veteran, your entitlement stays tied up until that buyer pays the loan off.
• Foreclosure, short sale or deed in lieu where VA paid a claim: the used portion cannot be restored until VA's loss is repaid in full, even if VA waived the debt you owed personally. Ask VA in writing for the loss amount before you assume what you owe. You may still have partial entitlement left, and many Veterans can buy with it and a down payment.

Steps

1. Get your COE. Request it on VA.gov, through your lender, or by mail with VA Form 26-1880.
2. For restoration, send VA Form 26-1880 with proof the earlier loan was paid off and what happened to the property (a lender payoff statement or settlement statement).
3. Look up your county limit on the FHFA map and do the four steps above.
4. Tell your lender your remaining bonus entitlement so they can size your down payment.

Trap: check the county limit for the year you are buying. Limits are set for each calendar year by county, so the number changes.

Where to call and where to go

Phone

• VA Home Loan line: 877-827-3702, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET (TTY: 711). Source: VA Home Loans contact page

Official pages

• VA home loan entitlement and limits
• How to request a COE
• VA Form 26-1880, Request for a Certificate of Eligibility (can be filed online)
• Check your COE status
• FHFA county loan limit map (2026)
• VA home loan eligibility questions, including restoration

The FHFA map loads as an interactive tool, so it may show only its title in some browsers.