To stabilize a thickness increase ratio and a thickness reduction ratio of a metallic tube in compression bending of the tube by acting tensile force on the tube.

There is provide an apparatus 60 for bending a metallic tube in which the metallic tube 8 is moved by a straightly advancing mechanism 20 while being heated by an annular heating mechanism 11 and the metallic tube 8 is applied with compressive force (Pn) by being swiveled by a swiveling mechanism 30, and the metallic tube 8 is consequently bent, the compressive force (Pc) being applied to the metallic tube 8 by pulling both ends of the metallic tube 8 by a tensile force applying mechanism 50. The apparatus 60 for bending a metallic tube includes: a tensile force adjusting member 63 for variably adjusting the tensile force Pb of the tensile force giving mechanism 50; a thrust detecting member 62 for detecting the thrust Ps of the straightly advancing mechanism 20; and a control part 65 which calculates the tensile force Pb by subtracting the detected value Ps of the thrust from the target value PA of control corresponding to the total compressive force Pa of the ordinary compressive force Pn and an added compressive force Pc and which controls the tensile force adjusting member 63 on the basis of the calculated value of the tensile force Pb. A connection part 61 is formed in a tilting permissible form.