VALife FAQs

Apply online and receive an instant decision. Once approved, you can sign in to your account within 4 to 5 days to print your policy pages.

Find out how to apply for VALife online

Yes. A legal representative like a power of attorney, guardian, or VA fiduciary can apply for you. During the application, they can select the third-party representative option to complete a secure online form. They must upload their authorization documents before signing.

Find out how to apply for VALife online

VALife has a 2-year waiting period because it’s a guaranteed acceptance life insurance plan. This means there’s no timeline to apply and we don’t ask you health questions or require a medical exam when you apply. So we don’t know whether you have any health risks. If you die during the waiting period, we’ll pay your beneficiary the premiums you paid, plus interest. After 2 years, we’ll pay your beneficiary the full amount of your coverage, as long as you continue to pay your premiums.

Your VALife policy starts building cash value after you’ve had the policy for 2 years. Cash value is money that builds up over time as long as your policy stays active. You can use this money if you decide to cancel or change your policy. You can also use it to keep your insurance active if you stop paying premiums.

Yes. You can have other private or VA life insurance policies, like Veterans’ Group Life Insurance (VGLI) or Veterans’ Mortgage Life Insurance (VMLI).

Fill out a Designation of Beneficiary – Government Life Insurance form (VA Form 29-336).

Get VA Form 29-336 to download

Submit your completed form using our secure document upload portal.

Upload your insurance documents online

Or mail your completed form to this address:

Department of Veterans Affairs
Insurance Center
PO Box 5209
Janesville, WI 53547-5209

You can cancel your policy at any time.

If you cancel your policy within 31 days of enrolling, you’ll get a full refund of the premiums you paid.

If you cancel your policy after 31 days of enrolling but before your 2-year waiting period ends, you won’t receive a refund or cash value.

If you cancel your policy after 2 years and you’ve paid all required premiums, you can receive your policy’s cash value or use it for extended term insurance.

Note: If you decide to get VALife again, you’ll need to apply for a new policy and complete a new 2-year waiting period before your full coverage takes effect.

No. We don’t offer policy loans.

Yes. A power of attorney, legal guardian, or VA fiduciary can manage and make changes to your policy if we have their authorization on file. They can’t create or use an online account on your behalf.

To make changes, call us at to request VA Form 29-10279. We’ll let you know how to complete and return the form with proof of authorization.

Note: Your representative will need a court order for beneficiary changes.

The amount you need to pay upfront depends on how you choose to pay your premiums.

If you choose automatic deductions from your VA compensation or retirement pay, you’ll need to pay 2 months upfront. This covers the time it takes to set up your recurring payments.

If you choose direct payments through e-billing on Pay.gov or your checking, you’ll need to pay 1 month upfront.

Note: If you can’t pay 2 months upfront, select Pay premiums directly to VA when you apply. Once we approve your application, you can sign in to your account to switch to automatic monthly deductions.

You have a 31-day grace period to make your payment. If we don’t receive your payment within 61 days of the due date, your coverage will end.

If your coverage ends, you can apply to restart your policy within 2 years. You’ll need to pay all missed premiums plus interest.

Note: If you’re 81 or older, you can’t restart your policy after it ends.

We usually pay VALife death claims within 2 to 5 business days.

Before we pay a death claim, we’ll need to confirm that your beneficiary wasn’t involved in your death.

We don’t have restrictions on death claims for suicide.

Learn how to file a death claim online

You can keep your S-DVI policy as long as you continue to pay your premiums.

If you applied for VALife on or before January 1, 2026, you can keep your S-DVI coverage during the 2-year waiting period. Otherwise, you can only have 1 disability-based life insurance policy at a time. Your S-DVI coverage ends when we approve your VALife application.