To restrain the load of a motor-driven oil pump and energy loss of the whole apparatus, in a lubrication apparatus for an internal combustion engine equipped with a mechanical oil pump and the motor-driven oil pump.

This lubrication apparatus for the internal combustion engine 10 is equipped with the mechanical oil pump 21 which is drivingly-connected to an engine output shaft 11 so as to obtain driving force; and the motor-driven oil pump 23. The mechanical oil pump 21 supplies oil to an engine lubrication portion 14. The motor-driven oil pump 23 supplies oil to a variable valve mechanism 13 as working oil. In the motor-driven oil pump 23, the oil of which the pressure is raised once by the mechanical oil pump 21 when a relief valve 22 is opened is supplied through a relief passage 24.