To provide a method for annealing a metallic strip, by which at the time of annealing the travelling metallic strip by Joule's heating with electric current, a cold-rolling process can be saved and also, high current is conducted without developing spark and the metallic strip can be rolled at the uniform temp. in good rolling precision and high productivity, and the apparatus therefore.

One or more pairs of conductive rolls 5, 7 and holding rolls 4, 6 while holding the travelling metallic strip 1, are arranged at the front and the rear side of a ring transformer 10. One or more pairs of the conductive roll 7 and the holding roll 1 pair in these pair can roll the metallic strip. At the time of executing the Joule's heating to the metallic strip 1 with the current, the rolling is executed while loading the rolling reduction force plastically deformed to the metallic strip 1 with the pair of the conductive 7 and the holding roll 6.