Process for preparing chlorine from hydrochloric acid, which comprises the steps: a) providing a hydrochloric acid feed stream I; b) providing a hydrochloric acid recycle stream II; c) separating off a hydrogen chloride stream IV from the hydrochloric acid feed stream I and the hydrochloric acid recycle stream II in a distillation step; d) feeding the hydrogen chloride stream IV, an oxygen-containing steam V and, if desired, an oxygen-containing recycle stream Va into an oxidation zone and oxidizing hydrogen chloride to chlorine in the presence of a catalyst to give a product gas stream VI comprising chlorine, unreacted oxygen, unreacted hydrogen chloride and water vapor; e) separating off hydrogen chloride and water from the product gas stream VI in an absorption step to give a gas stream VII and the hydrochloric acid recycle stream II; f) if desired, drying the gas stream VII; g) separating off an oxygen-containing stream from the gas stream VII and, if desired, recirculating at least part of this as oxygen-containing recycle stream Va to the oxidation zone, leaving a chlorine-containing product stream VIII; h) if desired, further purifying the chlorine-containing product stream VIII.