In a method and an apparatus for increasing the intrinsic viscosity of a polycondensate melt at negative pressure, the melt enters a chamber, in which a negative pressure of less than 20 mbar prevails, through a perforated plate or a screen having openings with a diameter of less than 0.5 mm. The melt passes through this chamber in free fall in thin threads and remains in a reservoir beneath the chamber for at least one minute. The melt is moved constantly in the reservoir, and discharged from the reservoir, by a helical mixing and discharge part.