The Europe/Africa Zone was one of three zones of regional competition in the 1996 Fed Cup.
Group I
Venue: La Manga Club, Murcia, Spain (outdoor clay) Date: 22–24 April
The sixteen teams were divided into four pools of four teams. The top teams of each pool play-off in a two-round knockout stage to decide which nation progresses to World Group II play-offs. Nations finishing in the bottom place in each pool were relegated to Europe/Africa Zone Group II for 1997.
Pools
Knockout stage
and advanced to World Group II Play-offs. , , and relegated to Group II in 1997.
Group II
Venue: Ramat HaSharon, Israel (outdoor hard) Date: 25–30 March
The nineteen teams were divided into three pools of five and one pool of four. The top two teams from each pool then moved on to the play-off stage of the competition. The four teams that won one match from the play-off stage would advance to Group I for 1997.
Pools
Play-offs
, , and promoted to Europe/Africa Group I in 1997.