VA Funding Fee 2026 Chart: Rates by Down Payment and Who Is Exempt
The VA home loan funding fee chart in force for 2026, who does not pay it, when it is refunded, and a calculator for the fee on your loan.
The VA funding fee on a purchase loan is 2.15% of the loan for first use with less than 5% down, 1.5% with 5% down and 1.25% with 10% down; after first use it is 3.3% with less than 5% down. Cash-out refinances are 2.15% / 3.3% and an IRRRL is 0.5%. Veterans receiving VA disability compensation pay no fee. Source: VA funding fee and closing costs, rates effective April 7, 2023.
Official The chart below is VA’s current chart (checked November 4, 2026); the fees are set by 38 U.S.C. 3729. They have not changed since April 7, 2023.
VA funding fee chart 2026
| Use | Down payment | Funding fee |
|---|---|---|
| First use | Less than 5% | 2.15% |
| First use | 5% or more | 1.5% |
| First use | 10% or more | 1.25% |
| After first use | Less than 5% | 3.3% |
| After first use | 5% or more | 1.5% |
| After first use | 10% or more | 1.25% |
| Loan type | Funding fee |
|---|---|
| Cash-out refinance, first use | 2.15% |
| Cash-out refinance, after first use | 3.3% |
| Interest rate reduction refinancing loan (IRRRL) | 0.5% |
| Manufactured home (not permanently affixed) | 1% |
| Loan assumption | 0.5% |
| Vendee loan (VA-acquired property) | 2.25% |
| Native American Direct Loan, purchase | 1.25% |
| Native American Direct Loan, refinance | 0.5% |
The fee is a percentage of the loan amount, not the price. VA’s own example: a first-time buyer with $10,000 down on a $200,000 home borrows $190,000 and pays 1.5%, or $2,850 (VA). It can be paid at closing or financed into the loan.
VA funding fee calculator
Who is exempt from the VA funding fee
You do not pay the funding fee if any of these is true (VA):
- You receive VA compensation for a service-connected disability.
- You are eligible for that compensation but receive retirement or active-duty pay instead.
- You receive Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) as the surviving spouse of a veteran.
- You are a service member with a proposed or memorandum rating, before closing, saying you are eligible for compensation from a pre-discharge claim.
- You are on active duty and, on or before closing, provide evidence that you received the Purple Heart.
Funding fee refunds
If VA later awards you disability compensation with an effective date before your loan closed, you may be due a refund of the funding fee. A proposed or memorandum rating received after closing does not qualify (VA). What the compensation itself pays in 2026 →
Common questions
What is the VA funding fee for 2026?
For a first-use purchase loan: 2.15% with less than 5% down, 1.5% with 5% or more, 1.25% with 10% or more. After first use: 3.3%, 1.5% and 1.25%. IRRRL 0.5%; cash-out refinance 2.15% first use, 3.3% after (VA).
Who is exempt from the VA funding fee?
Veterans receiving VA disability compensation (or eligible for it but receiving retired or active-duty pay), surviving spouses receiving DIC, service members with a pre-discharge rating before closing, and active-duty Purple Heart recipients (VA).
Is the VA funding fee charged on the price or the loan?
On the loan amount. With $10,000 down on a $200,000 home, the 1.5% fee is charged on the $190,000 loan: $2,850 (VA).
Can the VA funding fee be refunded?
Yes, if VA awards disability compensation with an effective date before the loan closing date (VA).
Sources
- VA — VA funding fee and loan closing costs (rate charts effective April 7, 2023)
- 38 U.S.C. 3729 — Loan fee
Rates as published by VA on the page above. QuantCalc is calculation software, not legal, tax or benefits advice. Last updated November 4, 2026.
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