Each National Olympic Committee (NOC) can enter a maximum of 4 competitors, 2 per each gender and 1 per each boat type.

58 places were decided at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games World Qualification Event.

The places were distributed by continental rankings; in total 14 C1 (1 from Africa, 1 from Oceania, 3 from America, 3 from Asia and 6 from Europe) and 15 K1 (1 from Oceania, 2 from Africa, 3 from America, 3 from Asia and 6 from Europe) boat quotas were allocated to each gender.

[1] All athletes must compete in both disciplines (slalom and sprint) or risk disqualification.

To be eligible to participate at the Youth Olympics athletes must have been born between 1 January 2002 and 31 December 2003.