Apparatus for applying an adhesive film on a substrate surface of a plate-like element, said apparatus comprising: a support frame, transport means adapted to mutually move said plate-like element with respect to a work head along a transport axis in a transport direction towards said work head, wherein said work head comprises a work surface operatively facing said substrate surface of said plate-like element, said work surface being operatively adapted to receive said adhesive film and to press the latter on said substrate surface at a contact line coplanar to said substrate surface and perpendicular to said transport axis, cutting means adapted to cut said adhesive film, wherein said work head comprises a work wall provided with a first face defining said work surface and a second face opposite to said first face, said work surface comprising a first contact portion and a second contact portion arranged in this order along said transport direction, said first contact portion and said second contact portion being at least partially separated from each other by at least a through opening which passes through said work wall, said work head comprising reversible holding means adapted to reversibly hold said adhesive film on at least a part of said first contact portion and optionally on at least a part of said second contact portion of said work surface, said cutting means being opposite to said work surface with respect to said second face of said work wall, and being also provided with at least a cutting element adapted to slidingly engage a respective one of said at least a through opening, and said work head being adapted to rotate about a rotation axis parallel to said contact line between a first position wherein at least a part of said first contact portion operatively presses on said surface of substrate at said contact line, and a second position wherein at least a part of said second contact portion operatively presses on said substrate surface at said contact line, said work head being characterized in that it is further adapted to operatively maintain said second position. a support frame, transport means adapted to mutually move said plate-like element with respect to a work head along a transport axis in a transport direction towards said work head, wherein said work head comprises a work surface operatively facing said substrate surface of said plate-like element, said work surface being operatively adapted to receive said adhesive film and to press the latter on said substrate surface at a contact line coplanar to said substrate surface and perpendicular to said transport axis, cutting means adapted to cut said adhesive film, wherein said work head comprises a work wall provided with a first face defining said work surface and a second face opposite to said first face, said work surface comprising a first contact portion and a second contact portion arranged in this order along said transport direction, said first contact portion and said second contact portion being at least partially separated from each other by at least a through opening which passes through said work wall, said work head comprising reversible holding means adapted to reversibly hold said adhesive film on at least a part of said first contact portion and optionally on at least a part of said second contact portion of said work surface, said cutting means being opposite to said work surface with respect to said second face of said work wall, and being also provided with at least a cutting element adapted to slidingly engage a respective one of said at least a through opening, and said work head being adapted to rotate about a rotation axis parallel to said contact line between a first position wherein at least a part of said first contact portion operatively presses on said surface of substrate at said contact line, and a second position wherein at least a part of said second contact portion operatively presses on said substrate surface at said contact line, said work head being characterized in that it is further adapted to operatively maintain said second position.