An exhaust gas purification system for an internal combustion engine can quickly recover the exhaust gas purification ability of an exhaust gas purification device by increasing opportunities to release the SOx occluded in the exhaust gas purification device. In the exhaust gas purification system having the exhaust gas purification device having the property of occluding the SOx in the exhaust gas emitted from the internal combustion engine and collecting particulate matter contained in the exhaust gas, when the load of the internal combustion engine falls within a load range in which SOx poisoning recovery control can be executed, during the time when the particulate matter is oxidized and removed by collection ability regeneration control (S105), the collection ability regeneration control is interrupted and the SOx poisoning recovery control is executed (S106, S107).