One object is to suppress a substrate from being dried in the course of releasing the substrate from a substrate holding member in an apparatus for polishing. There is provided the apparatus for polishing, comprising: a polishing table configured to support a polishing pad; a substrate holding member having a substrate holding surface and a pressure chamber, which are made of an elastic membrane, wherein the pressure chamber has a plurality of areas arranged concentrically and a substrate is pressed against the polishing pad by a pressure in the pressure chamber; a pressure regulator configured to regulate a pressure of a gas that is supplied to the pressure chamber of the substrate holding member; one or a plurality of release nozzles configured to inject a pressurized fluid; and a control device configured to perform a substrate release process of releasing the substrate from the elastic membrane, the substrate release process controlling the pressure regulator to pressurize entirety of the elastic membrane by pressurizing all the areas in the pressure chamber and subsequently pressurize a center portion of the elastic membrane by pressurizing the pressure chamber such as to make a pressure in one or multiple areas on a center side, which include an area at a center of the pressure chamber, higher than pressures in other areas, wherein meanwhile the substrate release process controls the one or plurality of release nozzles to inject the pressurized fluid to a contact location between the elastic membrane and the substrate.