A Certificate of Eligibility (COE) is an official document issued by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs that confirms you meet the service requirements to qualify for a VA-guaranteed home loan. It verifies your military service history to lenders so they can move forward with your VA loan application. Most lenders can pull your COE electronically within minutes, so it rarely slows down the homebuying process. If there are any discrepancies in your service record, obtaining the COE early gives you time to sort them out before you're under contract on a home.