VHIC Explained

The Veteran Health Identification Card is the photo ID you use to check in at VA health care appointments. It carries your latest branch-of-service emblem, and it has braille text for veterans with low vision.

Enrollment comes first. You have to be enrolled in VA health care, and you have to have had your welcome call, before you can apply for the card. There is no route to a VHIC that skips enrollment.

Two ways to get one:

  • In person. Contact the enrollment coordinator at your nearest VA medical center to arrange a photo appointment. Take a current, unexpired state driver's license, US passport, or other government-issued photo ID.
  • Online. Sign in to AccessVA with an ID.me or Login.gov account, or a Defense Department CAC or PIV card, and upload a photo — passport-style, taken within six months, light background, neutral expression, square crop.

Delivery: 7 to 14 days if you live in the United States, up to 30 business days if you are overseas. Replacements go through the same routes — phone, in person, or AccessVA.

Who is eligible?

Veterans enrolled in VA health care.

The thing most people miss. If your VHIC is printed with "SERVICE CONNECTED", "PURPLE HEART" or "FORMER POW" on the front, it is the ID that gets you into commissaries, military exchanges and MWR retail facilities — in person and online. Since January 1, 2020 any veteran with a VA-documented service-connected disability rating has that access, and the VHIC is the cleanest proof of it. That alone is a reason to enroll in VA health care even if you use civilian doctors.

It is also accepted for veteran discounts at a lot of retailers, which is not its purpose but is convenient.

What it is not. It is not a credit card and not an insurance card. It does not get you onto a military installation by itself — base access is a separate procedure that installations run themselves — and it is not proof of eligibility for other federal benefits.

If you are not enrolled and do not want to be, the Veteran ID Card (VIC) is the alternative, but it does far less: it is a proof-of-service card for discounts and nothing more.

How do I apply?

  • Enroll in VA health care first, on Form 10-10EZ: And wait for the welcome call — you cannot apply before it.
  • Use AccessVA if you would rather not go in: You need an ID.me, Login.gov, or DoD CAC/PIV account.
  • Or book a photo appointment at your VA medical center: Take an unexpired government photo ID with you.
  • Allow 7 to 14 days: Up to 30 business days if you are overseas.
  • Check the front for SERVICE CONNECTED: That marking is your commissary, exchange and MWR access.
  • Do not rely on it for base access: Installations run their own procedures.

Common questions

Do you need to be enrolled in VA health care to get a VHIC?

Yes. You must be enrolled and have had your welcome call before you can apply. There is no route that skips enrollment.

How long does a VHIC take to arrive?

7 to 14 days if you live in the United States, and up to 30 business days if you are overseas.

Does a VHIC get you into the commissary?

Yes, if it is printed with SERVICE CONNECTED, PURPLE HEART or FORMER POW on the front. That marking is accepted proof for commissary, exchange and MWR access.

Can you use a VHIC to get onto a military base?

No. Base access is a separate procedure that each installation runs, and the card is not proof of eligibility for other federal benefits either.

What is the difference between a VHIC and a Veteran ID Card?

The VHIC requires enrollment in VA health care, checks you in at appointments, and can prove service-connected status for commissary access. The VIC needs no enrollment but only proves you served, for discounts.

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