All UEFA member associations were eligible to compete in the qualifying competition, with the host team
France qualifying directly to the finals tournament.
Seeding system Sides were seeded according to the UEFA national team coefficient rankings, which were announced along with the draw procedure and final tournament match schedule after the 23–24 January Executive Committee meeting in
Nyon. UEFA also stated in their regulations that "the teams drawn into the group of five teams will have
France added to their group for the purpose of playing centralized friendlies". However, these friendlies did not count in the qualifying group standings. For the play-offs the four ties were determined by draw, including the order of the two legs of each tie. The teams were seeded for the play-off draw according to the
UEFA national team coefficient rankings updated after the completion of the group stage. Each nation's coefficient was generated by calculating: • 40% of the average ranking points per game earned in the
UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying group stage. • 40% of the average ranking points per game earned in the
2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying stage and
final tournament. • 20% of the average ranking points per game earned in the
UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying stage and
final tournament.
Tiebreakers If two or more teams were equal on points on completion of the group matches, the following tie-breaking criteria were applied: • Higher number of points obtained in the matches played among the teams in question; • Superior goal difference in matches played among the teams in question; • Higher number of goals scored in the matches played among the teams in question; • Higher number of goals scored away from home in the matches played among the teams in question; • If, after having applied criteria 1 to 4, teams still had an equal ranking, criteria 1 to 4 were reapplied exclusively to the matches between the teams in question to determine their final rankings. If this procedure did not lead to a decision, criteria 6 to 10 applied; • Superior goal difference in all group matches; • Higher number of goals scored in all group matches; • Higher number of away goals scored in all group matches; • Fair play conduct in all group matches (1 point for a single yellow card, 3 points for a red card as a consequence of two yellow cards, 3 points for a direct red card, 4 points for a yellow card followed by a direct red card); • Position in the
UEFA national team coefficient ranking system; To determine the best third-placed team, the results against the teams in sixth place were discarded. The following criteria were applied: • Higher number of points obtained; • Superior goal difference; • Higher number of goals scored; • Higher number of away goals scored; • Fair play conduct in all group matches; • Position in the
UEFA national team coefficient ranking system; For each play-off tie, the team that scored more goals on aggregate over the two legs qualified for the final tournament. If the aggregate score was level, the
away goals rule was applied, i.e., the team that scored more goals away from home over the two legs advanced. If away goals were also equal, then thirty minutes of
extra time was played, divided into two fifteen-minutes halves. The away goals rule was again applied after extra time, i.e., if there were goals scored during extra time and the aggregate score was still level, the visiting team advanced by virtue of more away goals scored. If no goals were scored during extra time, the tie was decided by
penalty shoot-out. ; Notes ==Schedule==