The European qualification for the 2013 World Men's Handball Championship, in Spain, was played over two rounds.
In the first round of qualification, 21 teams who were not participating at the European Championship were split into seven groups.
The group winners and the remaining 11 teams from the European Championship played a playoff afterwards to determine the other nine qualifiers.
[2] Following the main round of the 2012 European Men's Handball Championship was concluded, five of the sixteen participants earned an automatic spot for the World Championship, namely Spain (hosts), France (title holders), Croatia, Denmark and Serbia.
The drawing procedure was carried out on 29 January 2012 at the Belgrade Arena during the final day of the European Championship.