Process for the preparation of aromatic amines wherein a) the aromatic amines are prepared by hydrogenation of the corresponding aromatic nitro compounds in the presence of a catalyst, and the water formed in the hydrogenation is separated off by phase separation to give the crude aromatic amines, and b) the crude aromatic amines obtained from step a) are then purified by a procedure in which b) (i) the crude aromatic amines obtained from step a) are mixed with at least one aqueous solution of a base, the amount used and the base concentration of the aqueous base solution being chosen so that the molar ratio of the sum of all the bases added to the aromatic amines in process step b) to the phenolic hydroxyl groups contained in the aromatic amines obtained from step a) is not greater than 10, and so that the weight ratio of organic constituents to water is greater than 10, b) (ii) the mixture obtained from step b) (i) is mixed with water, the weight ratio of the mixture obtained from step b) (i) to the water added in step b) (ii) being in the range between 0.05 and 20, and b) (iii) the two-phase mixture obtained from step b) (ii) is then separated into an organic phase containing the aromatic amines and an aqueous phase. a) the aromatic amines are prepared by hydrogenation of the corresponding aromatic nitro compounds in the presence of a catalyst, and the water formed in the hydrogenation is separated off by phase separation to give the crude aromatic amines, and b) the crude aromatic amines obtained from step a) are then purified by a procedure in which b) (i) the crude aromatic amines obtained from step a) are mixed with at least one aqueous solution of a base, the amount used and the base concentration of the aqueous base solution being chosen so that the molar ratio of the sum of all the bases added to the aromatic amines in process step b) to the phenolic hydroxyl groups contained in the aromatic amines obtained from step a) is not greater than 10, and so that the weight ratio of organic constituents to water is greater than 10, b) (ii) the mixture obtained from step b) (i) is mixed with water, the weight ratio of the mixture obtained from step b) (i) to the water added in step b) (ii) being in the range between 0.05 and 20, and b) (iii) the two-phase mixture obtained from step b) (ii) is then separated into an organic phase containing the aromatic amines and an aqueous phase. b) (i) the crude aromatic amines obtained from step a) are mixed with at least one aqueous solution of a base, the amount used and the base concentration of the aqueous base solution being chosen so that the molar ratio of the sum of all the bases added to the aromatic amines in process step b) to the phenolic hydroxyl groups contained in the aromatic amines obtained from step a) is not greater than 10, and so that the weight ratio of organic constituents to water is greater than 10, b) (ii) the mixture obtained from step b) (i) is mixed with water, the weight ratio of the mixture obtained from step b) (i) to the water added in step b) (ii) being in the range between 0.05 and 20, and b) (iii) the two-phase mixture obtained from step b) (ii) is then separated into an organic phase containing the aromatic amines and an aqueous phase.