An exhaust gas purification system is equipped with a burner in an exhaust passage upstream of an exhaust gas purification apparatus and having a burner combustion chamber in which flame is produced. When the temperature of the exhaust gas purification apparatus is raised, the burner produces flame that extends from the interior of the burner combustion chamber to the interior of the exhaust passage when the flow rate of the exhaust gas is not higher than a predetermined flow rate, and the burner causes the size of the flame to be smaller than when it is determined that the flow rate of the exhaust gas is not higher than the predetermined flow rate or to produce flame only in the interior of the burner combustion chamber when it is determined that the flow rate of exhaust gas is higher than the predetermined flow rate.