An optical packet header processing apparatus for processing a header of an optical packet expressing an address of a destination node to control a switching operation of an optical packet switch. The optical packet header processing apparatus comprises a beam splitter for splitting the optical packet header into a predetermined number of optical packet header elements, and a plurality of time interval detectors. Each of the time interval detectors receives a corresponding one of the optical packet header elements from the beam splitter and outputs a detect optical pulse if a pair of optical pulses having a predetermined time interval therebetween are present in the received optical packet header element. A plurality of optical pulse detectors are adapted to convert the detect optical pulses from the time interval detectors into electrical signals and transfer the converted electrical signals to the optical packet switch, respectively. Therefore, the optical packet switch determines the destination node in response to the electrical signals from the optical pulse detectors and outputs the optical packet to an output port corresponding to the determined destination node.