A method for separation and recovery of noble metals which makes it possible to isolate noble metal components efficiently by easy operation, that is, a method which comprises passing a solution of metals in hydrochloric acid prepared by treating a metal material with hydrochloric acid through the first cellulose column, eluting through development the noble metal component adsorbed on the cellulose with a hydrochloric acid/2-propanone mixture to obtain a fraction containing light platinum-group metals and a fraction containing heavy platinum-group metals and gold, separating the former fraction with the above mixture into fractions containing palladium, ruthenium and rhodium respectively, passing the fraction containing heavy platinum-group metals and gold through the second cellulose column to made them adsorbed on the cellulose, eluting them from the cellulose with a hydrochloric acid/1-butanol mixture to obtain fractions containing gold, osmium, iridium and platinum respectively, and recovering the noble metals from the fractions containing them respectively as simple substances.