Written 2026-08-31 after an OSDRI staff member lost VA access before ever logging in once. Plain language on purpose. If you just got a PIV card, read this page top to bottom before you do anything else. No client information on this page.
Getting the PIV card is not the finish line. It is the starting gun.
The day your card is activated, a clock starts. If you do not log into VA systems successfully within about 30 days, VA switches your account off. Getting it switched back on takes a 40-minute phone call, needs another person to vouch for you, and can take up to 3 days to 30 days to actually take effect.
This has now happened to at least three OSDRI people since April 2026. Every single time it was treated as a surprise. It is not a surprise. It is the default outcome if nobody tells you what to do, which is exactly why this page exists.
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The rule: get everything below working within 48 hours of activating your card. Not next week. The setup takes about an hour, and there are two problems that will stop you cold if you do not know about them in advance. Both are covered below.
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These are separate systems that get switched on at different times by different people. This is the single most confusing thing about VA access, so here it is plainly:
| Thing | What it is | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PIV card | The physical badge with a chip | Chip expires every 3 years, card every 5 |
| VA network account | Your VA identity, [email protected] |
This is what gets disabled for inactivity |
| VA email mailbox | An actual inbox at that address | Requires Microsoft 365 licensing. If Outlook says you are unlicensed, order M365 in yourIT. VA sends PIV renewal notices here |
| Mobile number / OTP registration | Your cell number registered to your VA account for 2FA codes | Do this in yourIT during the first successful Citrix login |
| Microsoft 365 license | The license that enables VA Outlook/Office services | Separate from Citrix and VBMS. Order it in yourIT if it is missing |
| Remote access (CAG) | Permission to reach VA from a non-VA computer | Separate approval from the account itself |
| VBMS entitlement | Permission to use VBMS specifically | Separate again. Having a PIV does not mean you have VBMS |
They can each be broken independently. When something fails, ask which one is broken instead of assuming it is the card.
Your laptop almost certainly does not have one built in. You need a USB smart card reader, a physical thing you plug in.
Ask Steve. The office keeps them. Do this before your card appointment so you are not stuck waiting.
Without a reader, nothing else on this page is possible.
You will get an email saying your card is ready, then you schedule an appointment through the USAccess scheduler and go to the Providence VA Regional Office to pick it up and activate it.
You will set a PIN at activation. Write it down somewhere safe. You will need it every single time you log in, and there is no self-service reset.
Write down the activation date. Your 30-day clock starts here, and later you will be glad you have the exact date.