Leaving military service doesn't affect an existing VA loan you already have — the loan continues under its original terms regardless of your current service status, since VA loan eligibility is determined at the time of loan origination based on your service record at that point, not an ongoing service requirement tied to the loan itself. For future VA loan use after leaving service, eligibility generally continues for veterans who met the minimum service requirements during their time in the military, meaning your VA loan benefit doesn't expire or disappear just because you're no longer on active duty. Veterans can use (and reuse, as discussed regarding entitlement restoration) their VA loan benefit throughout their lifetime as a veteran, not just during active service. It's worth obtaining or updating your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) after separating from service, since this document reflects your current, verified entitlement status and will be needed by any lender for a future VA loan application. The COE process accounts for your full service record, so separating from the military doesn't require starting from scratch to reestablish eligibility — it's simply a matter of the COE reflecting your veteran status going forward rather than active-duty status. If you're planning a home purchase around the time of separation from service, it's worth timing the process carefully with a lender familiar with VA loans, since there can be some nuances around how a transitioning income situation (moving from military pay to civilian employment) is evaluated during underwriting, particularly if you haven't yet started new civilian employment or have a gap in employment history during the transition period.