Each competing nation might qualify one boat for each of the fourteen events. The majority of the qualifying places were awarded based on the results at the
2015 World Rowing Championships, held at
Lac d'Aiguebelette,
France from August 30 to September 4, 2015. Places are awarded to
National Olympic Committees, not to specific athletes, finishing in the top 9 in the single sculls (both men and women), top 5 in the eights, and top 11 in the pairs, doubles, and lightweight doubles, and (only for men) in the coxless four and lightweight four. In the quadruple sculls, the first eight nations will be qualified in the men's event, and the first five in the women's. Further berths were distributed to the nations (and in this case to specific competitors) at four continental qualifying
regattas in Asia and Oceania (except for Australia and New Zealand), Africa, Latin America, and Europe (with the additional participation of the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand), and at a final Olympic qualification regatta in
Lucerne,
Switzerland. ==Schedule==