Form 485BPOS TIAA Separate Account

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 5, 2026

Registration File Nos. 333-292534 and 811-08963

U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM N-4

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

and/or

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

(Check appropriate box or boxes.)

TIAA Separate Account VA-5

(Exact Name of Registrant)

Teachers Insurance and

Annuity Association of America

(Name of Insurance Company)

730 Third Avenue

New York, New York 10017

(Address of Insurance Company’s Principal Executive Offices)

Insurance Company’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code: (212) 490-9000

Explanatory Note: This Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended to the Registration Statement on Form N-4 (the “Registration Statement”) of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (the “Registrant”) is to replace Exhibit K in Part C of the Registration Statement.

Part A (Prospectus) and Part B (Statement of Additional Information) filed on December 31, 2025 (File No. 333-292534) are incorporated herein by reference.

- 2 -

PART C – OTHER INFORMATION

Item 27. Exhibits

None

None

None

None

None

None

None

*Filed herewith.

Item 28. Directors and Officers of the Insurance Company

- 1 -

  TIAA

  730 Third Avenue

  New York, New York 10017-3206

Item 29. Persons Controlled by or under Common Control with the Depositor or Registrant

The following chart indicates subsidiaries of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America. These subsidiaries are included in the consolidated financial statements of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America.

All Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America subsidiary companies are Delaware corporations, except as indicated.

- 2 -

- 3 -

Exhibit A^*

- 4 -

- 5 -

- 6 -

- 7 -

- 8 -

- 9 -

- 10 -

- 11 -

Item 30.  Indemnification

Trustees, officers, and employees of TIAA may be indemnified against liabilities and expenses incurred in such capacity pursuant to Article Six of TIAA’s bylaws (see Exhibit 6(B)). Article Six provides that, to the extent permitted by law, TIAA will indemnify any person made or threatened to be made a party to any action, suit or proceeding by reason of the fact that such person is or was a trustee, officer, or employee of TIAA or, while a trustee, officer, or employee of TIAA, served any other organization in any capacity at TIAA’s request. To the extent permitted by law, such indemnification could include judgments, fines, amounts paid in settlement, and expenses, including attorney’s fees. TIAA has in effect an insurance policy that will indemnify its trustees, officers, and employees for liabilities arising from certain forms of conduct.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to officers and directors of the Depositor, pursuant to the foregoing provision or otherwise, the Depositor has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in that Act and is therefore unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Depositor of expenses incurred or paid by a director or officer in connection with the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by a director or officer in connection with the securities being registered, the Depositor will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in that Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

Item 31.  Principal Underwriters

(a) TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC acts as principal underwriter for Registrant, College Retirement Equities Fund, TIAA Real Estate Account, TIAA Separate Accounts VLI-1 and VLI-2, TIAA Separate Account VA-3 and TIAA Separate Account VA-1.

(b) Management

- 12 -

(c) Not Applicable.

Item 32.  Location of Accounts and Records

All accounts, books and other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder are maintained at the Registrant’s home office, 730 Third Avenue, New York, New York 10017, and at other offices of the Registrant located at 8500 Andrew Carnegie Boulevard, Charlotte, North Carolina 28262. In addition, certain duplicated records are maintained at Iron Mountain 22 Kimberly Road East Brunswick, NJ 08816, 64 Leone Lane, Chester, New York, 10918, 11333 East 53 Street, Denver, CO 80239, State Street Bank and Trust Company, 801 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, MO 64105, JPMorgan Chase Bank, 4 Chase Metrotech Center Brooklyn, NY 11245, and McCamish Systems LLC, Storage of Documents: Iron Mountain, 660 Distribution Drive, Atlanta, GA 30336, Storage of Electronic Date: Quality Technology Services, 300 Satellite Blvd, Suwanee, GA 30024.

Item 33.  Management Services

Not Applicable.

Item 34.  Fee Representation and Undertakings

Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America. (“TIAA”) hereby represents that the fees and charges deducted under the Contracts, in the aggregate, are reasonable in relation to the services rendered, the expenses expected to be incurred, and the risks assumed by TIAA.

TIAA represents that the No-Action Letters issued by the Staff of the Division of Investment Management on November 28, 1988 to the American Council of Life Insurance and August 30, 2012 to

- 13 -

ING Life Insurance Company are being relied upon, and that the terms of those No-Action positions have been complied with.

- 14 -

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this Post-Effective Amendment to the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act of 1933 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Charlotte, and State of North Carolina on the 5th day of January 2026.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed below by the following persons on January 5, 2026, in the capacities indicated.

Exhibit Index

17