The invention discloses a steel tube transfer mechanism, which belongs to the steel tube production industry steel tube movement facility technical field. The mechanism comprises a stander, a power unit, a rotating shaft linked with the power unit, an overturning arm fixed on the rotating shaft and a tube overturning fork configured on the overturning arm, and is characterized in that: the mechanism also comprises a tube overturning fork direction retaining device which comprises a first chain wheel, a second chain wheel and a first chain; the first chain wheel is sleeved on the rotating shaft and is fixed with a shaft seat of the rotating shaft; the second chain wheel is linked with the tube overturning fork; and the first chain is sleeved on the first chain wheel and the second chain wheel; the tube overturning fork is provided with a tube overturning fork seat; a first fork seat shaft and a second fork seat shaft are formed at both sides of the tube overturning fork seat; the first fork seat shaft is arranged in a first bearing cavity of the overturning arm; the second fork seat shaft is arranged in a second bearing cavity of the overturning arm; and the second chain wheel is fixed with any one of the first fork seat shaft and the second fork seat shaft. The mechanism has the advantages that: the mechanism can steadily transfer steel tubes from a tube rolling mill to a steel tube support matched with the steel tube transfer mechanism, and avoids the situation of damaging the steel tubes during the tube unloading.