An object of this invention is to provide a control apparatus for an internal combustion engine that can suppress the emission of unburned HC accompanying start-up of an internal combustion engine. The control apparatus for an internal combustion engine of this invention includes: fuel supply control means that, when a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine is started, initially supplies fuel to only some cylinders, and delays the start of fuel supply to delayed cylinders that are cylinders other than the aforementioned cylinders; engine discharge gas HC amount predicting means that, based on predetermined parameters including at least a representative temperature of the internal combustion engine, calculates a relationship between a delayed cylinder starting engine speed that is a engine speed at a timing at which a cycle starts in which a delayed cylinder initially carries out combustion and a predicted value of an engine discharge gas HC amount; and target engine speed calculating means that, based on the relationship, calculates a target engine speed that is a target value of the delayed cylinder starting engine speed; wherein the fuel supply control means determines a timing at which to start to supply fuel to the delayed cylinders so that the delayed cylinder starting engine speed is in a vicinity of the target engine speed.