How long does a paper Virginia refund take?
Virginia says a paper return takes up to 10 weeks during filing season, and 3 weeks more if sent by certified mail. Its 2025 Form 763 instructions say a paper refund is generally processed within 8 weeks.
The Virginia Department of Taxation does not say how soon a paper return first shows in Where's My Refund?
How do I check my Virginia refund status?
Use Where's My Refund? on individual.tax.virginia.gov.
It asks for these, in this order:
- Social Security Number:. Yours, typed on the agency's own site. Virginia does not say whether its tool takes an ITIN
- Tax Year:. The year the return is for, not the year you mail it
- Income tax refund expected:. Whole dollars, from Form 763 line 36 (2025 forms)
- How did you file:. Choose "On paper"
What can slow down my Virginia refund?
Because of identity theft, Virginia sometimes looks at a return more closely and may ask you for more information. If it sends you a letter, respond quickly so it can keep processing your return.
- If Virginia corrects your return, or uses your refund to pay a debt you owe to a local, state or federal agency, it sends you a letter and mails the refund as a paper check.
- Virginia does not allow direct deposits to a bank outside the United States. A routing number for a bank outside the United States gets you a paper check, and Virginia says it will significantly delay your refund.
- If your bank details are wrong, the refund is sent as a check, which may take an additional 2 weeks.
- Paper processing takes significantly longer than electronic processing, and a return sent by certified mail can take even longer.
What else should I know about Virginia's Where's My Refund?
The tool and the automated refund line, 804.367.2486, are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and have the same information as Virginia's customer service.
- When Virginia has finished processing your return, the tool shows the date your refund was sent.
- A refund sent as a check can take 10 days to arrive. The tool also offers to email you when your status changes.
- The Identity Theft Information line is 804.404.4185.
Can F1TaxReturn prepare my Virginia return?
No. F1TaxReturn prepares state returns for California, New York, Illinois and Massachusetts only.
Your federal return (Form 1040-NR and Form 8843) is free with F1TaxReturn whichever state you worked in.