Preliminary round

European qualifying for the 2016 FIFA Futsal World Cup comprises two group stages and a play-off round.

Preliminary round
The lower-ranked nations are drawn into four-team mini-tournaments played from 22 to 25 October 2015. Each mini-tournament is staged by one of the countries and each team plays one another once with the group winners progressing alongside the best two runners-up.

Main round
The preliminary round qualifiers join the remaining entrants in seven groups of four nations held from 10 to 13 December 2015. The top two in each group go into the play-offs.

Play-offs
The group winners will be drawn against the runners-up to form seven two-legged ties played on 22 March and 8 to 12 April 2016. The aggregate victors qualify for the final tournament.

Finals
Twenty-four teams, including the seven European qualifiers, will compete in Colombia from 10 September to 1 October 2016.

Further details, including the criteria for separating teams that finish level on points in a group, or after extra time in a match, can be found in the official competition regulations.