A shift control method implemented in a vehicle equipped with an automatic transmission for controlling an input shaft rotation speed (N_in) of the automatic transmission to a target input shaft rotation speed (tN_in) during a shift, comprising: setting a basic target synchronization rotation speed (tbN_in) that is a basic target value of the input shaft rotation speed (N_in) during the shift; and determining whether or not an accelerating intention is present when the shift is a downshift with a driving force requirement to the vehicle where an accelerator opening (α) of the vehicle is greater than zero; when the accelerating intention is present where the accelerator opening (α) is more than an accelerating intention criterion region R(α, V), setting a first target input shaft rotation speed (tN_in1) as the target input shaft rotation speed (tN_in), the first target input shaft rotation speed (tN_in1) being obtained by increasingly correcting the basic target synchronization rotation speed (tbN_in), wherein the accelerating intention criterion region R(α, V) is set as a reference range of an operating point O(α, V) of the vehicle defined by the acceleration opening α and the vehicle speed V in view of determining whether an accelerator operation during the downshift is actually accompanied by an acceleration of the vehicle; and when the accelerating intention is not present where the accelerator opening (α) is equal to or below an accelerating intention criterion region R(α, V), setting a second target input shaft rotation speed (tN_in2) as the target input shaft rotation speed (tN_in), the second target input shaft rotation speed (tN_in2) being obtained by maintaining or decreasingly correcting the basic target synchronization rotation speed (tbN_in). setting a basic target synchronization rotation speed (tbN_in) that is a basic target value of the input shaft rotation speed (N_in) during the shift; and determining whether or not an accelerating intention is present when the shift is a downshift with a driving force requirement to the vehicle where an accelerator opening (α) of the vehicle is greater than zero; when the accelerating intention is present where the accelerator opening (α) is more than an accelerating intention criterion region R(α, V), setting a first target input shaft rotation speed (tN_in1) as the target input shaft rotation speed (tN_in), the first target input shaft rotation speed (tN_in1) being obtained by increasingly correcting the basic target synchronization rotation speed (tbN_in), wherein the accelerating intention criterion region R(α, V) is set as a reference range of an operating point O(α, V) of the vehicle defined by the acceleration opening α and the vehicle speed V in view of determining whether an accelerator operation during the downshift is actually accompanied by an acceleration of the vehicle; and when the accelerating intention is not present where the accelerator opening (α) is equal to or below an accelerating intention criterion region R(α, V), setting a second target input shaft rotation speed (tN_in2) as the target input shaft rotation speed (tN_in), the second target input shaft rotation speed (tN_in2) being obtained by maintaining or decreasingly correcting the basic target synchronization rotation speed (tbN_in).