U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) Edition VA Form 21-686c, AUG 2025 (OMB No. 2900-0043, expires 08/31/2028) 15 pages

VA Form 21-686c — Application Request to Add and/or Remove Dependents

Tell VA about a marriage, a new child, a divorce or a death, so your compensation or pension pays for the right dependents.

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VA Form 21-686c · Application Request to Add and/or Remove Dependents
The official U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) form, edition VA Form 21-686c, AUG 2025 (OMB No. 2900-0043, expires 08/31/2028) — blank
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Fill this form online Blank PDF from U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA)

What is VA Form 21-686c?

VA Form 21-686c is how a veteran or other beneficiary asks VA to add dependents to, or remove them from, a compensation or pension award. VA's notice on the form says to use it to claim additional benefits for a dependent or to request removal of a dependent from your award.

Section I identifies the veteran and claimant. The rest is used only as needed: adding a spouse with both partners' earlier marriages, adding up to four children (and two more on the addendum), reporting a divorce, stepchildren, the death of a dependent, a child's marriage, or a schoolchild over 18 who stopped attending school.

FileIt fills VA's own PDF (AUG 2025 edition), printing names, numbers and dates in its one-character boxes and including only the parts you switch on. It files the result in your vault folder. FileIt never submits anything to VA.

Who fills it
The veteran, or a surviving spouse or designated alternate signer.
Given to
VA, online at va.gov or by mail to the Evidence Intake Center, PO Box 4444, Janesville, WI 53547-4444.
Goes with
VA Form 21-674 for a child aged 18 to 23 in school.
Signatures
Item 26A, signed by the beneficiary/claimant or an alternate signer, and dated in 26B.
Edition
VA Form 21-686c, AUG 2025 (supersedes AUG 2022), OMB 2900-0043
Pages
15: six pages of instructions, eight form pages and a one-page addendum for more children.

Who needs to fill out VA Form 21-686c?

  • Veterans with a 30% or higher combined rating adding a spouse or child after a marriage, birth or adoption.
  • Veterans removing a former spouse after a divorce, or a dependent who died.
  • Veterans reporting a child's marriage or a schoolchild who stopped attending school.
  • Surviving spouses updating the dependents on their award.
  • Pension recipients whose household has changed.

When to use VA Form 21-686c

  • After you marry, or a child is born or adopted, to start any additional benefit for them.
  • After a divorce, a death, a child's marriage or a schoolchild leaving school, so VA can remove the dependent and limit an overpayment.
  • Together with VA Form 21-674 the first time you claim a child aged 18 to 23 who is in school.

What you need before you start

  • The veteran's name, Social Security number, VA file number, date of birth and contact details.
  • For a spouse: name, date of birth, Social Security number, date, place and type of marriage, and both partners' earlier marriages.
  • For each child: name, Social Security number, date and place of birth, status (biological, adopted, stepchild, in school, incapable of self-support) and address if they live elsewhere.
  • For a divorce: the former spouse's name and the date and place of divorce, and any stepchildren from that marriage.
  • For a death, a child's marriage or a schoolchild who stopped attending: the name and the date it happened.

What’s on VA Form 21-686c

The 2025 edition has 15 pages. FileIt asks for it in 13 parts, and it is signed by Veteran, claimant or alternate signer:

  1. Section I: Veteran/claimant's identification informationVeteran, claimant or alternate signer
  2. Section II: Information needed to add spouseVeteran, claimant or alternate signer
  3. Item 14: Veteran/claimant's previous marital informationVeteran, claimant or alternate signer
  4. Item 15: Current spouse's previous marital informationVeteran, claimant or alternate signer
  5. Section III: Information needed to add child(ren)Veteran, claimant or alternate signer
  6. Section XI: Additional child(ren) (addendum)Veteran, claimant or alternate signer
  7. Section IV: Veteran reporting divorce from former spouseVeteran, claimant or alternate signer
  8. Section V: Veteran/claimant reporting on stepchild(ren)Veteran, claimant or alternate signer
  9. Section VI: Veteran/claimant reporting death of a dependentVeteran, claimant or alternate signer
  10. Section VII: Veteran/claimant reporting marriage of childVeteran, claimant or alternate signer
  11. Section VIII: Veteran/claimant reporting a schoolchild over 18 has stopped attending schoolVeteran, claimant or alternate signer
  12. Section IX: RemarksVeteran, claimant or alternate signer
  13. Section X: Beneficiary/claimant's certification and signatureVeteran, claimant or alternate signer

How to fill out VA Form 21-686c, step by step

1 Section I: Veteran and claimant

Items 1 to 10, required in every case: names, Social Security numbers, VA file number, date of birth, service number, phone, email and mailing address.

2 Section II and items 14-15: Adding a spouse

Items 11 to 13 describe your spouse, the marriage and whether you live together. Items 14 and 15 list your previous marriages and your spouse's, up to four each, with how and when each ended.

3 Section III and the addendum: Adding children

Items 16 to 19 have room for four children, the addendum for two more. For each: identity, birth, who they live with, status, any earlier marriage and, for a stepchild, whether they are your spouse's biological child.

4 Sections IV to X: Removing dependents and signing

Report a divorce (IV), stepchildren from that marriage (V), a dependent's death (VI), a child's marriage (VII) or a schoolchild who stopped attending (VIII). Add remarks in item 25 and sign items 26A and 26B.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Not giving complete information about your and your spouse's prior marriages.
  • Leaving out a spouse's or child's Social Security number without explaining why in item 25.
  • Not sending VA Form 21-674 for a child aged 18 to 23 in school.
  • Waiting to report a divorce or death, which can lead to an overpayment.
  • Forgetting to sign and date items 26A and 26B.

After you fill it out

Sign items 26A and 26B and send the form online at va.gov or to the Evidence Intake Center, PO Box 4444, Janesville, WI 53547-4444.

Include the addendum page if you list more than four children, and VA Form 21-674 for any schoolchild.

Keep the filed PDF in your FileIt vault next to the marriage, birth or divorce records it relies on.

Fill out VA Form 21-686c online with FileIt

  1. Pick the person. Choose someone from People and FileIt fills in their name, date of birth, address and other details it already knows.
  2. Answer plain-language questions. One part of the form at a time, with the official help text beside each question — 397 fields in all. Your answers save as you go.
  3. Check the live preview. Watch your answers land on the real U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) form, and let FileIt do any worksheet arithmetic.
  4. Generate the official PDF. FileIt prints your answers into the agency’s own PDF and files it in that person’s folder in your vault. Sign it, or send it for e-signature.

FileIt fills the form — it never files or submits anything for you. Deliver the finished form to whoever asked for it, the way the form’s instructions say.

Start VA Form 21-686c now — it’s free

VA Form 21-686c: frequently asked questions

What is VA Form 21-686c used for?

To claim additional benefits for a dependent, or to ask VA to remove a dependent from your compensation or pension award.

Who must sign it?

The form says that unless the claimant is the veteran's surviving spouse or a designated alternate signer, the veteran must sign item 26A.

How many children can I add?

Four in Section III, and two more on the addendum page. Make copies of the addendum for more.

Do I need VA Form 21-674 too?

For a child between 18 and 23 who is attending school, yes. VA's notice says to send 21-686c with it only if you have never received additional benefits for that child.

What if my spouse has no Social Security number?

Item 11C says to explain why in Section IX, item 25 (remarks).

Does FileIt send the form to VA?

No. FileIt fills VA's own PDF and keeps it in your vault. You sign it and send it.

Official sources

FileIt is not affiliated with or endorsed by U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) or any government. This page explains the form in general terms and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Always read the official instructions, and check that you are using the edition the recipient accepts. Page last reviewed 2026-10-19.

Fill out VA Form 21-686c online