The VFW membership application is a one-page form you complete online at oms.vfw.org or on paper at a local VFW Post. To be accepted, you need an honorable or general (under honorable conditions) discharge, proof of qualifying overseas service, and payment of dues. Everything else is detail.
Confirm You Qualify Before You Start
Two requirements are set by federal statute, and both must be met. There are no waivers.
Your service must be honorable. That means your DD-214 shows a characterization of Honorable or General (Under Honorable Conditions). Current active duty, Guard, and Reserve service counts. Any discharge below General Under Honorable Conditions disqualifies you.1Veterans of Foreign Wars. Eligibility
You must also have served in a foreign war, campaign, or expedition. Under 36 U.S.C. § 230103, you qualify if you meet any one of the following:
- You received an authorized U.S. campaign medal or expeditionary medal for overseas service.
- You served in an area that entitled you to hostile fire or imminent danger pay under 37 U.S.C. § 310 or § 351, shown on a Leave and Earnings Statement.
- You served on the Korean peninsula or in its territorial waters for at least 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days after June 30, 1949.
The list of qualifying campaign medals runs from the Spanish-American War through current operations and includes the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, and the Navy Expeditionary Medal for many specific operations. The VFW publishes the full list in its one-page eligibility worksheet.3Veterans of Foreign Wars. VFW Eligibility Worksheet
Documents to Have Ready
Your DD Form 214 is the document the VFW relies on to confirm both requirements. Two blocks matter. Block 13 lists your campaign medals, decorations, and badges, which is where the VFW verifies qualifying overseas service. Block 24 shows your characterization of service.1Veterans of Foreign Wars. Eligibility
Active duty applicants won’t have a DD-214 yet. The online form lets you select “Active Duty” and attest to eligibility based on campaign medals or hostile fire pay from your current service.
If You Need a Replacement DD-214
Request one from the National Personnel Records Center before you apply. Two options:
- Online through eVetRecs at vetrecs.archives.gov. You’ll verify your identity through ID.me.
- By mail or fax using Standard Form 180. Mail it to the NPRC at 1 Archives Drive, St. Louis, MO 63138, or fax it to 314-801-9195.
Either route requires your full name as used in service, branch and dates of service, Social Security number, and date of birth. The request must be signed and dated. The NPRC does not accept requests by email.4National Archives. Request Military Service Records
Filling Out the Application
You have two ways to apply. Both collect the same information.
Online
The enrollment portal at oms.vfw.org walks you through screens covering:
- Service information: branch (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, or Space Force), status (Active Duty, Guard/Reservist, Retired, or Honorably Discharged), and dates of service.
- Eligibility qualifier: select a campaign medal from a dropdown, indicate hostile fire or imminent danger pay, or confirm Korea service of 30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive days.
- Personal information: gender, state, country, and date of birth.
- Membership type: Annual, Life, or Life Installment Plan. Your date of birth sets the life membership price.
- Payment by credit card.
- Attestation that you served honorably and earned the eligibility indicated.
If a current member recruited you, there’s an optional field for their membership number so they get credit.
Paper at a Local Post
Paper applications are available at any VFW Post. The form is the same, with a signature line and a section for the Post Quartermaster to verify your service documents in person. Bring your DD-214 or a certified copy so the Quartermaster can review Block 13 and Block 24 while you’re there.
Choose a Membership Type and Pay Dues
Annual membership costs $45 per year when you join as a Member-At-Large through the national website. Joining through a specific local Post may cost slightly more because Posts can add local dues on top of the national and department (state) portions.6Veterans of Foreign Wars. Join – VFW
Life membership is a one-time payment based on your age as of December 31 of the year you apply:
- 18–30: $425
- 31–40: $410
- 41–50: $375
- 51–60: $335
- 61–70: $290
- 71–80: $225
- 81 and older: $170
An installment plan is available: $45 up front and the remaining balance in 11 monthly payments. You receive an annual card during the installment period, and the permanent life card arrives after the final payment clears.7Veterans of Foreign Wars. Authorization Agreement for Automatic Payments Form
Submitting and What Comes Next
Online, submission ends when you complete the form and pay by credit card. Nothing else needs to be mailed.
At a Post, hand your completed paper form and DD-214 to the Post Quartermaster. The Quartermaster accepts your dues, verifies your documents, and forwards the national and department portions to VFW National Headquarters.8Veterans of Foreign Wars. Quartermaster Guide Introduction Posts typically accept checks made payable to the Post. The online system takes credit cards only.
Once National Headquarters confirms your eligibility, your membership card is mailed to your home address. Delivery usually takes three to four weeks after the national office receives the approved application. During peak months from April through July, processing can stretch to eight to ten weeks.
Annual members receive a card valid for one calendar year. Life members who paid in full receive a permanent card. Installment members get an annual card first and a permanent life card after all 11 payments clear.7Veterans of Foreign Wars. Authorization Agreement for Automatic Payments Form
Family Members Use a Different Form
If you’re a relative of an eligible veteran and not a veteran yourself, this application isn’t the one for you. Family members join the VFW Auxiliary, a separate organization with its own application. You need to be at least 16 and related to a qualifying veteran as a spouse, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, or sibling, including step-, half-, and adopted relationships. Auxiliary applicants provide proof of the veteran’s qualifying service, not their own, and can request the veteran’s records through the National Archives using Standard Form 180 if needed.9VFW Auxiliary National Organization. Eligibility Information