An exhaust gas purification apparatus for an internal combustion engine, comprising: an oxidation catalyst to be provided in an exhaust gas passage of the internal combustion engine and having an oxidation ability, the oxidation catalyst being configured to reduce NOx contained in an exhaust gas by using fuel supplied by the aid of the exhaust gas as a reducing agent when a catalyst temperature belongs to a predetermined temperature range equal to or higher than an active temperature thereof; a fuel supply unit configured to supply the fuel to the oxidation catalyst by the aid of the exhaust gas flowing into the oxidation catalyst; a selective catalytic reduction catalyst to be provided in the exhaust gas passage on a downstream side of the oxidation catalyst and configured to reduce NOx contained in the exhaust gas by using ammonia as a reducing agent; a reducing agent supply unit configured to supply ammonia or a precursor of ammonia to the selective catalytic reduction catalyst by the aid of the exhaust gas flowing into the selective catalytic reduction catalyst; and a control unit being configured to control a fuel supply amount by the fuel supply unit, characterized in that the control unit is configured to execute: first control of controlling the fuel supply unit to supply an appropriate amount of fuel so that, when the selective catalytic reduction catalyst is in an inactive state in cases where the temperature of the oxidation catalyst belongs to the predetermined temperature range, in order to effectively purify NOx by means of the oxidation catalyst, the oxidation reaction 2NO + 02 → 2NO 2 is facilitated in relation to the oxidation catalyst to produce NO 2 to be subjected to the reduction reaction represented by the reaction formula NO 2 + 2/9C 3 H 6 → 1/2N 2 + 2/3CO 2 + 2/3H 2 O whereby NOx is reduced by the oxidation catalyst; and second control of controlling the fuel supply amount by the fuel supply unit so that a temperature of the exhaust gas flowing into the selective catalytic reduction catalyst is raised by oxidation of the fuel in the oxidation catalyst irrespective of a NOx purification rate of the selective catalytic reduction catalyst when the selective catalytic reduction catalyst is in the inactive state in cases where the temperature of the oxidation catalyst exceeds the predetermined temperature range. an oxidation catalyst to be provided in an exhaust gas passage of the internal combustion engine and having an oxidation ability, the oxidation catalyst being configured to reduce NOx contained in an exhaust gas by using fuel supplied by the aid of the exhaust gas as a reducing agent when a catalyst temperature belongs to a predetermined temperature range equal to or higher than an active temperature thereof; a fuel supply unit configured to supply the fuel to the oxidation catalyst by the aid of the exhaust gas flowing into the oxidation catalyst; a selective catalytic reduction catalyst to be provided in the exhaust gas passage on a downstream side of the oxidation catalyst and configured to reduce NOx contained in the exhaust gas by using ammonia as a reducing agent; a reducing agent supply unit configured to supply ammonia or a precursor of ammonia to the selective catalytic reduction catalyst by the aid of the exhaust gas flowing into the selective catalytic reduction catalyst; and a control unit being configured to control a fuel supply amount by the fuel supply unit, characterized in that the control unit is configured to execute: first control of controlling the fuel supply unit to supply an appropriate amount of fuel so that, when the selective catalytic reduction catalyst is in an inactive state in cases where the temperature of the oxidation catalyst belongs to the predetermined temperature range, in order to effectively purify NOx by means of the oxidation catalyst, the oxidation reaction 2NO + 02 → 2NO 2 is facilitated in relation to the oxidation catalyst to produce NO 2 to be subjected to the reduction reaction represented by the reaction formula NO 2 + 2/9C 3 H 6 → 1/2N 2 + 2/3CO 2 + 2/3H 2 O whereby NOx is reduced by the oxidation catalyst; and second control of controlling the fuel supply amount by the fuel supply unit so that a temperature of the exhaust gas flowing into the selective catalytic reduction catalyst is raised by oxidation of the fuel in the oxidation catalyst irrespective of a NOx purification rate of the selective catalytic reduction catalyst when the selective catalytic reduction catalyst is in the inactive state in cases where the temperature of the oxidation catalyst exceeds the predetermined temperature range.