The present invention relates to an apparatus for continuously separating a fluid mixture, for example, oil, water, as well as also slurry, and for continuous separate discharge of the fluids and harmless removal of the solid portion.The invention is based on the principle that the fluid mixture is conducted in the vertical direction in such a manner, that by the downward flow, flow free zones develop on the opposing sides of deflectors, in which the low viscosity fluid (oil) rises and forms a specified height oil column in the collecting chamber.The oil column so appears, as a result of a turbulence effect of the separator, to the water surface, that with a density of 0.85, 15% of the oil column floats above the water surface and 85% sinks under the water surface.These 15%'s are used for the continuous draining without the water flowing off with it. The oil outlet lies, for example, only 1 cm above the highest possible water level, the oil column under the water surface amounts to 5.6 cm before the oil discharge.Through the arrangement of a submerged second water surface independent from the water surface fluctuations this spacing is considerably increased.With obstructions in the oil discharge (filled tank, blocked pipe, etc.) the oil level in the oil collection chamber sinks and flows through the immersion pipe of the oil safety discharge in a reserve tank; through this the oil alarm is tripped.