PURPOSE: To obtain a seamless steel pipe excellent in cold workability at a low cost by reheating a pipe stock constituted of an austenitic stainless steel in which the content of C is regulated, subjecting the same to hot rolling at a specified reduction in area and thereafter executing controlled cooling.

CONSTITUTION: The stock of an austenitic stainless steel having ≤0.05% C content is used to produce a pipe stock for finish rolling. This pipe stock is reheated to 900 to 1000°C and is subjected to ≥40% hot finish rolling at a reduction in area of (AO-A)/AO when the cross-sectional area of the pipe stock is defined as AO and the cross-sectional area of the finished pipe as A. Moreover, it is subjected to final reheating at 900 to 1000°C for 1 to 10min and is thereafter air cooled. Thus, the austenitic stainless seamless steel pipe excellent in cold workability can be obtd. by a simple method. This method requires no special water cooling equipment.