Provided is a nickel oxide ore smelting method for forming pellets from a nickel oxide ore and performing smelting by reducing and heating the pellets in a smelting furnace, wherein it is possible to make the smelting reaction in the reduction step progress effectively while maintaining the strength of the pellets. This method for smelting a nickel oxide ore comprises: a pellet production step S1 for producing pellets from a nickel oxide ore; and a reduction step S2 for reducing and heating the obtained pellets in a smelting furnace at a predetermined reduction temperature. In the pellet production step S1, a mixture is formed by mixing materials including said nickel oxide ore without mixing a carbonaceous reducing agent, and the pellets are formed by agglomerating said mixture. In the reduction step S2, in charging the obtained pellets into the smelting furnace, a carbonaceous reducing agent is spread in advance over the furnace floor of the smelting furnace and the pellets are placed on the carbonaceous reducing agent, and the pellets are reduced and heated in a state where the pellets are covered by the carbonaceous reducing agent.