--- title: What Actually Happens After You Submit A VA Loan Application? description: A VA loan application takes minutes, but closing times come 40 to 50 days after contract signing. Here are the steps in between. authors: - name: Aly J. Yale role: Contributing Reporter url: https://money.com/author/aly-j-yale/ bio: Aly J. Yale is a freelance finance journalist with deep experience covering mortgages, real estate and the housing market, as well as investing, lending and retirement topics. She has paid off her student loans, bought two houses, and traveled to seven different countries with her two young sons all through smart money management. For Money, she has researched and written many best of rankings in the housing and mortgage space, including reverse mortgages, VA loans and home equity. Her work in The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News & World Report, Experian, Fortune, Business Insider, CBS and Money.com. education: Texas Christian University at_money_since: 2020 articles: 103 covers: - Mortgages - Banking - Business - Career Advice - Credit - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Loans - Personal Finance - Professional Services - Retirement also_seen_in: - The Wall Street Journal - Business Insider - Yahoo Finance - US News & World Report - CBS social: - https://twitter.com/AlyJwriter - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyjyale/ editors: - name: Leslie Cook role: Editor, Real Estate url: https://money.com/author/leslie-cook/ bio: Leslie Cook is Money’s lead real estate editor covering trends in the housing market, mortgage rates and real estate. She also writes about home renovation trends and tips. education: Bryn Mawr College, BA History certifications: Certified Personal Finance Counselor at_money_since: 2019 articles: 799 covers: - Mortgages - Banking - Credit - Economy and Politics - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Loans - Personal Finance - Professional Services - Retirement - Taxes social: - https://twitter.com/LeslieLCook - https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-cook-9829b9198/ published: '2026-10-15T13:07:14.000Z' modified: '2026-10-15T13:07:14.000Z' section: Mortgages word_count: 1102 canonical: https://money.com/what-happens-after-va-loan-application/ type: Article source: structured-blocks --- > **Disclosure:** We earned a fee from a featured brand for publishing this content. Compensation does not determine ranking. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/). ![Veteran at loan office](https://img.money.com/2026/09/VA-Loan.jpg) *Money, Getty Images* ## Key Takeaways - A VA loan typically closes 40 to 50 days after you sign the purchase contract, with underwriting taking 3 to 4 weeks. - VA appraisals assess a home's condition against VA safety standards, not just its value, and take 7 to 21 days. - Manual Certificate of Eligibility (COE) requests can take up to 5 days. VA specialized lenders can often obtain your COE in minutes. You've got your loan preapproval, and you're moving ahead with your lender. Filling out your full loan application is just the first step in getting a mortgage. While it’s typically the most labor-intensive part, at least for borrowers, it takes only a few minutes in what typically amounts to a weeks-long process to buy or refinance a home. This is true regardless of the type of mortgage you’re applying for, though the application process varies slightly by loan type. VA loans, for instance, require borrowers to meet certain military service requirements and include additional steps to verify them. The VA process has other nuances, too. If you're a veteran or military member planning to apply for a VA loan soon, this is what the process looks like and what exactly happens after you submit your application. ## Fill out the application Most lenders offer several ways to complete your application, but applying online is common these days because it's typically streamlined and can be completed in minutes compared to an in-person process. You can see how much faster an online application can be by requesting a preapproval letter. If you apply in person, it could take one to three days to get this letter. With an online application, that timeline shrinks to minutes. Starting your application requires submitting your personal information (name, spouse’s name, Social Security number, etc.); details about your income, employment history, and living history; financial and tax information; and information about the property you’re looking to buy or refinance. These basic data points are required for all loan applications, though a VA mortgage requires more. “In general, the information that’s collected is essentially the same,” says Daniel Iglesia, director of mortgage sales at Georgia’s Own Credit Union. “Since a VA loan is for military members, veterans and their spouses, though, some additional info is needed. A lender will need to know information regarding your military service and what available entitlements you have.” Some lenders ask additional questions in their application process for VA borrowers, including details about military rank, duty station, housing allowance, and Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders. This helps the lender better understand how much you may be eligible to borrow and which loans you qualify for. ## Talk to your loan officer The exact process depends on the lender you choose. According to Katie Rose, a loan officer at Veterans United, your application typically goes to the loan team first, who review it and determine what's still needed to move forward. "From there, they're calling the borrower to walk through everything submitted and lay out what comes next," Rose says. You’ll then receive an email, message or phone call from your lender. You may also be able to open a lender portal or account you can log into that outlines your next steps and remaining to-dos on your loan. These platforms can look different depending on who you choose to apply to. After you submit your application, your lender will pull your credit report to check your credit score and payment history, usually within minutes. The VA doesn’t have hard-and-fast credit score minimums for its loans, but many lenders require at least a 620. ## Submit your documentation and COE Next, you’ll need to provide documentation to support what you put on your application. Some lenders will send you to an online portal after you submit your application, where you can upload your documentation digitally. “Be prepared to provide your documentation, such as pay stubs, W-2s, tax returns and bank statements,” Iglesia says. “Having them ready to go leads to a much quicker closing process.” The lender may also have a tool that lets you securely link your bank accounts or, for active-duty military members. With VA loans, borrowers also need a Certificate of Eligibility, or COE. You may need to request it from the Department of Veterans Affairs or, if you choose a lender experienced in the VA space, they may be able to pull it on your behalf. Some even do it automatically once you indicate military service on your loan application. “The COE tells the lender if they've used their VA loan before, if they have remaining entitlement, those things that we need to know when doing their loan,” says Rose. Not all lenders can or know how to pull a COE, Rose adds, so choose a lender that can make the application process smoother. Otherwise, it may take up to five business days if a manual review of your certificate is required, or longer if documentation is missing. ## Await underwriting and an appraisal Once your documentation is in, your VA loan can move into underwriting, when the lender verifies your information and documents and makes sure you meet the VA loan program requirements. Verification typically takes three to four weeks, so stay in touch with your loan officer in case they need additional paperwork or answers to questions. Responding quickly can help keep your loan on track. Depending on your lender, you may have a dashboard or portal to monitor your loan’s progress. Check this often to make sure there are no outstanding documents or information requests. Your lender will also order an appraisal during this phase. Most mortgage loans require an appraisal, but VA loans require a more thorough one. Unlike those on conventional mortgages, VA appraisals don't just assess the value of the property you’re buying or refinancing. They also assess the home's condition to ensure it meets the VA’s safety and quality standards. Only certain VA-approved appraisers can conduct the appraisal, and it can take seven to 21 days to complete after your lender orders it. ## Close on your loan Finally, once everything checks out and your lender verifies your income, military service record, and other loan application details, they'll confirm your closing date. This is when you’ll sign your loan documents, pay your closing costs and down payment, and get the keys to your house; it typically happens 40 to 50 days after you sign the purchase contract. If you’re moving due to a PCS and are stationed far from where you’re buying a property, you may need a remote closing, which lets you sign your paperwork digitally. An electronic closing involves signing documents with an online notary present on a secure site, who applies digital notary seals and stamps to the closing documents. "Everyone needs to complete the signing together at the same time, which can get tricky depending on where they are located in the world," Rose says. Not all VA lenders offer this service, though, so compare options if you think you may need to close electronically. ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://money.com/what-happens-after-va-loan-application/#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://money.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Mortgages", "item": "https://money.com/mortgages/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "VA Loans", "item": "https://money.com/va-loans/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "What Actually Happens After You Submit A VA Loan Application?" } ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://money.com/#website", "url": "https://money.com", "name": "Money", "publisher": { "@id": "https://money.com/#organization" } }, { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://money.com/what-happens-after-va-loan-application/#webpage", "url": "https://money.com/what-happens-after-va-loan-application/", "name": "What Actually Happens After You Submit A VA Loan Application?", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://money.com/#website" }, "datePublished": "2026-10-15T13:07:14.000Z", "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://money.com/what-happens-after-va-loan-application/" }, "inLanguage": "en-US", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://money.com/what-happens-after-va-loan-application/#breadcrumb" }, "dateModified": "2026-10-15T13:07:14.000Z" }, { "@type": "Article", "headline": "What Actually Happens After You Submit A VA Loan Application?", "articleSection": "Mortgages", "image": [ { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://img.money.com/2026/09/VA-Loan.jpg", "width": 2880, "height": 1920, "caption": "Explainer-VA-Loan" } ], "author": [ { "@type": "Person", "name": "Aly J. Yale", "url": "https://money.com/author/aly-j-yale/", "@id": "https://money.com/author/aly-j-yale/#author", "description": "Aly J. Yale is a freelance finance journalist with deep experience covering mortgages, real estate and the housing market, as well as investing, lending and retirement topics. She has paid off her student loans, bought two houses, and traveled to seven different countries with her two young sons all through smart money management. For Money, she has researched and written many best of rankings in the housing and mortgage space, including reverse mortgages, VA loans and home equity. Her work in The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News & World Report, Experian, Fortune, Business Insider, CBS and Money.com.", "image": "https://img.money.com/2020/06/AJY-Headshot.jpg?quality=85&w=640&h=640&crop=1", "email": "alyjyale@gmail.com", "jobTitle": "Contributing Reporter", "alumniOf": "Texas Christian University", "subjectOf": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.wsj.com/", "name": "The Wall Street Journal" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.businessinsider.com/", "name": "Business Insider" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://finance.yahoo.com", "name": "Yahoo Finance" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.usnews.com", "name": "US News & World Report" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://cbsnews.com", "name": "CBS" } ], "sameAs": [ "https://twitter.com/AlyJwriter", "https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyjyale/" ], "worksFor": { "@id": "https://money.com/#organization" } } ], "publisher": "https://money.com/#organization", "datePublished": "2026-10-15T13:07:14.000Z", "description": "A VA loan application takes minutes, but closing times come 40 to 50 days after contract signing. Here are the steps in between.", "abstract": "A VA loan application takes minutes, but closing times come 40 to 50 days after contract signing. Here are the steps in between.", "@id": "https://money.com/what-happens-after-va-loan-application/", "inLanguage": "en-US", "dateModified": "2026-10-15T13:07:14.000Z", "editor": [ { "@type": "Person", "name": "Leslie Cook", "url": "https://money.com/author/leslie-cook/", "@id": "https://money.com/author/leslie-cook/#author", "description": "Leslie Cook is Money’s lead real estate editor covering trends in the housing market, mortgage rates and real estate. She also writes about home renovation trends and tips.", "image": "https://img.money.com/2020/04/Money_Headshots_2025-46.jpg?quality=85&w=640&h=640&crop=1", "email": "leslie@money.com", "jobTitle": "Editor, Real Estate", "hasCredential": [ { "@type": "EducationalOccupationalCredential", "credentialCategory": "certification", "name": "Certified Personal Finance Counselor" } ], "alumniOf": "Bryn Mawr College, BA History", "sameAs": [ "https://twitter.com/LeslieLCook", "https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-cook-9829b9198/" ], "worksFor": { "@id": "https://money.com/#organization" } } ], "wordCount": 1102, "about": [ { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Mortgage", "sameAs": [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortgage" ] }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "VA loan", "sameAs": [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VA_loan" ] } ] } ] } ```