Qualification for surfing at the 2020 Summer Olympics will be based on the performances at two editions of the ISA World Surfing Games, the World Surf League Championship Tour, and the Pan American Games.
[1] Twenty athletes per gender must qualify for the Games, with only a maximum of two each per NOC.
Host nation Japan has been entitled to use a single quota place each in both men's and women's shortboard.
If Japan directly qualifies in any of the tournaments, the host country place(s) shall be reallocated to the next highest ranked eligible athlete at the 2021 ISA World Surfing Games.
[2] Quota places will be allocated to the athletes in the following events: