A facsimile apparatus having a housing (10) for the apparatus and a telephone placing portion (12) disposed at an upper part of the housing, on which a telephone (11) connected to a public telephone network can be placed. The facsimile apparatus further including elements (18) for scanning an original by feeding the original to generate electrical signals representing image information of the original and elements (19) for recording image information applied to the apparatus through the public telephone network on a sheet. Both the scanning elements and the recording elements are disposed side by side along the direction of feeding of the original. The telephone placing portion is disposed above both the scanning elements and the recording elements to cover the upper portion of both the scanning elements and the recording elements. The apparatus further includes a first passage (32) disposed between the telephone placing portion and the scanning elements for feeding the original and second passage (33) disposed between the telephone placing portion and the recording elements, for feeding the original passed through the first passage. Both the first passage and the second passage can be opened to the outside by opening the placing portion.