A banknote handling apparatus for dispensing a plurality of banknotes stacked into a batch with a front edge or a rear edge in the transport direction thereof being aligned, comprising: a casing having an opening through which a banknote passes; a storage unit (31, 32, 33) arranged inside of the casing and configured to store the banknote, a transport unit which includes a main transport path connecting the opening and the storage unit (31, 32, 33) and a return transport path diverting from the main transport path at a predetermined diversion position thereof and joining the main transport path at a joining position upstream of the diversion position in a transport direction from the storage unit (31, 32, 33) to the opening, and transports the banknote along the main transport path and the return transport path; a detection unit arranged at a detection position upstream in the transport direction from the joining position of the main transport path and configured to detect the arrival of the banknote transported along the main transport path at the detection position; and a controller configured to control the transport unit based on the detection result of the detection unit such that a plurality of the banknotes are stacked into a batch with certain parts of the banknotes being aligned, wherein the controller is configured to perform a procedure comprising the steps of I) leading, at the diversion position, the banknote transported along the main transport path into the return transport path, II) transporting a subsequent banknote along the main transport path, and III) controlling the transportation of the banknote on the return transport path and the transportation of the subsequent banknote on the main transport path respectively in response to the arrival of the subsequent banknote at the detection position such that the two banknotes are stacked into a batch at the joining position with the front edge of the banknotes being aligned, wherein the main transport path is divided into an upstream transport path and a downstream transport path, the return transport path and the downstream transport path constitute a looped transport path such that a part of the looped transport path is formed by the main transport path connecting the opening and the storage unit (31, 32, 33). a casing having an opening through which a banknote passes; a storage unit (31, 32, 33) arranged inside of the casing and configured to store the banknote, a transport unit which includes a main transport path connecting the opening and the storage unit (31, 32, 33) and a return transport path diverting from the main transport path at a predetermined diversion position thereof and joining the main transport path at a joining position upstream of the diversion position in a transport direction from the storage unit (31, 32, 33) to the opening, and transports the banknote along the main transport path and the return transport path; a detection unit arranged at a detection position upstream in the transport direction from the joining position of the main transport path and configured to detect the arrival of the banknote transported along the main transport path at the detection position; and a controller configured to control the transport unit based on the detection result of the detection unit such that a plurality of the banknotes are stacked into a batch with certain parts of the banknotes being aligned, wherein the controller is configured to perform a procedure comprising the steps of I) leading, at the diversion position, the banknote transported along the main transport path into the return transport path, II) transporting a subsequent banknote along the main transport path, and III) controlling the transportation of the banknote on the return transport path and the transportation of the subsequent banknote on the main transport path respectively in response to the arrival of the subsequent banknote at the detection position such that the two banknotes are stacked into a batch at the joining position with the front edge of the banknotes being aligned, wherein the main transport path is divided into an upstream transport path and a downstream transport path, the return transport path and the downstream transport path constitute a looped transport path such that a part of the looped transport path is formed by the main transport path connecting the opening and the storage unit (31, 32, 33). I) leading, at the diversion position, the banknote transported along the main transport path into the return transport path, II) transporting a subsequent banknote along the main transport path, and III) controlling the transportation of the banknote on the return transport path and the transportation of the subsequent banknote on the main transport path respectively in response to the arrival of the subsequent banknote at the detection position such that the two banknotes are stacked into a batch at the joining position with the front edge of the banknotes being aligned, wherein the main transport path is divided into an upstream transport path and a downstream transport path, the return transport path and the downstream transport path constitute a looped transport path such that a part of the looped transport path is formed by the main transport path connecting the opening and the storage unit (31, 32, 33).