A method for preparing an isocyanate in a gaseous phase by feeding, in the presence or absence of an inert gas, an amine-containing gas stream and a phosgene-containing gas stream into a reaction region, allowing the amine and the phosgene to contact in gaseous forms and undergo a phosgenation reaction in the reaction region, thus preparing the target isocyanate in a gaseous form in the reaction region. The phosgene-containing stream is subjected to preheating and warming before being fed into the reaction region, and the phosgene-containing stream comprises a substance A at a mass fraction of