VA Loans
Can You Have a Cosigner on a VA Loan?
By Cris Pacheco, NMLS #1961452 · May 22, 2025
Yes, you can have a co-borrower on a VA loan — but with restrictions. The VA fully guarantees loans only when the co-borrower is your spouse or another VA-eligible Veteran. A non-Veteran, non-spouse cosigner triggers a 'joint loan' that most lenders handle differently, often requiring a down payment on the non-Veteran's share.
Who can cosign without complications
Your spouse (married co-borrowers are standard), or another Veteran with VA entitlement who will live in the home. In both cases, the VA guarantee applies normally and you keep the $0-down benefit.
Two Veterans buying together can even split entitlement usage — a useful strategy for house-hacking a multi-unit property.
The non-Veteran cosigner problem
If a parent, sibling, or partner you're not married to cosigns, the VA only guarantees the Veteran's half of the loan. Lenders typically require 12.5% down on the non-guaranteed portion, and fewer lenders offer these 'VA joint loans' at all.
Before going that route, talk to us: often the Veteran qualifies alone with the right income structuring, or a different program (like a conventional loan with a cosigner) prices out better than a VA joint loan.
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