An exhaust gas purification apparatus for an internal combustion engine, capable of carrying out oxidation removal of PM deposited in a filter as a whole in an efficient manner, includes a filter arranged in an exhaust passage of the internal combustion engine and having an oxidation catalyst supported in at least an upstream side portion thereof, and a heating device arranged so as to be able to heat the upstream side portion of the filter irrespective of oxidation reaction heat of the oxidation catalyst, wherein when filter upstream regeneration processing to oxidize and remove deposition PM in the upstream side portion of the filter is carried out by controlling a heating device, an amount of decrease of the upstream side deposition PM by the filter upstream regeneration processing is reflected on an amount of filter PM deposition in the ordinary filter regeneration processing which oxidizes and removes the deposition PM in the entire filter by means of oxidation reaction heat of unburnt fuel generated by the oxidation catalyst supported in the filter, and the filter upstream regeneration processing is ended, even if the thus reflected amount of filter PM deposition is in a state of being larger than a reference amount of deposition which is a threshold value for ending the ordinary filter regeneration processing.