An apparatus for continuously dissolving metal powder for use in plating includes a dissolving tank for dissolving metal powder for used in plating solution in a solvent, a filter for separating the solution containing undissolved residue into an undissolved residue and a filtrate, a recovery tank of the filtrate, and a plating solution storing tank for supplying recovered filtrate to a plating tank. The filter is a porous substance having a plurality of liquid passages in the axial direction thereof, and the filter is provided with a circuit for returning a liquid solution containing the undissolved residue passed through the passages to the dissolving tank and a pipeline for leading the filtrate to the recovery tank.A method of dissolving a nickel metal, which has a specific surface of 0.003 m.sup.2 /g or more, is dissolved with the use of the above-described apparatus.