According to one embodiment, a substrate processing apparatus includes: a removing part (D1) configured to remove liquid droplets present in a recess (30); a drain hole (30a) located at the bottom of the recess (30) of a nozzle head (32), and configured to discharge the liquid droplets as a target to be removed out of the recess (30); and a controller configured to control the discharge state of a gas discharge nozzle (33) such that there is a period in which a gas is discharged from the gas discharge nozzle (33) at a flow rate, at which the gas discharged does not reach a surface to be processed of s substrate W, in a period from the end of the rinsing process using a treatment liquid to the start of the drying process using the gas.