# How to file a VA claim for migraines

> The steps to file a VA disability claim for migraine: protect a potential effective date with an intent to file, gather diagnosis and attack-frequency evidence, file, and follow the claim.

Canonical: https://aivaclaims.com/conditions/migraine-va-rating/how-to-file

Last updated: 2026-10-27

Updated October 27, 2026 · By AIVA

Filing for migraine follows the same path as other VA disability claims: record an intent to file if you are not ready to submit, gather evidence of a current diagnosis and of prostrating attack frequency over several months, file the claim through VA's official channels, and respond to any exam scheduling. The rating VA assigns comes from the DC 8100 criteria.

## [Step 1: Protect your filing date](#step-1-protect-your-filing-date)

If you are not ready to file the full claim today, an intent to file can reserve a potential effective date while you gather evidence. VA's intent-to-file process gives you a deadline — one year — to submit the complete claim, so record the date and work to it.

[VA: How to file a disability claim](https://www.va.gov/disability/how-to-file-claim/)

## [Step 2: Gather the migraine evidence](#step-2-gather-the-migraine-evidence)

For an original claim, VA generally looks for a current disability, an in-service event or illness, and a link between them. For a secondary claim, the link runs to the service-connected primary condition instead — the two secondary guides in this series cover those packages.

Whatever the theory, the rating evidence is migraine-specific: a current diagnosis, treatment records, and a dated log that shows how often prostrating attacks occur across several months. Organize the package by what each document shows, using the evidence checklist guide.

[VA: Evidence needed for a disability claim](https://www.va.gov/disability/how-to-file-claim/evidence-needed/)

## [Step 3: File, then follow the claim](#step-3-file-then-follow-the-claim)

File through the official channels VA's filing page describes, and keep a complete copy of what you submitted with its confirmation. VA may schedule a claim exam; the DBQ guide in this series explains the questionnaire that exam uses.

After filing, use VA's claim status tool for the official status and for any evidence requests, and keep their response dates in your own calendar.

[VA: Claim status tool FAQs](https://www.va.gov/resources/claim-status-tool-faqs/)

## Filing checklist for a migraine claim

Work through this list in order. Each item is a document or step you can verify before the claim goes in.

- Intent to file recorded, if you need time to gather evidence
- Current migraine diagnosis located in your treatment records
- Service or primary-condition records that support the connection you are claiming
- Headache log covering the last several months, showing frequency and prostrating attacks
- Personal statement describing what attacks do to your day and your work
- Claim filed through VA's official filing channels, with a copy and confirmation kept

## Related help

- [Migraine VA rating hub](https://aivaclaims.com/conditions/migraine-va-rating)
- [VA claim evidence checklist](https://aivaclaims.com/guides/va-claim-evidence-checklist)
- [Intent to file preparation](https://aivaclaims.com/services/intent-to-file)

## Check your likely claim paths

Answer a few taps in AIVA's pre-eligibility check and see the paths that may fit your situation, before you decide anything.

[Start the pre-eligibility check](https://aivaclaims.com/check)

This educational series reproduces and explains the linked regulation and VA sources. It is not an individual legal or medical assessment, and it does not predict a rating. For representation or help with your claim, [find VA-accredited assistance](https://www.va.gov/get-help-from-accredited-representative/). Check the current VA instructions and your own decision letter before filing.