A soldering apparatus, in particular a reflow soldering apparatus, for continuous soldering of printed circuit boards along a transport direction, having a process channel that includes a preheating zone, a soldering zone and a cooling zone, having a base body and a cover hood movable between a closed position and an open position, wherein nozzle plates, fan units with fan motors, air channels carrying the process gas, filter elements and/or cooling elements are provided in the base body. At least one fan unit is arranged in or on the base body laterally next to the process channel in the transport direction, and air channels are arranged and provided in such a manner that process gas is blown into the process channel during operation of the at least one fan unit, with the process gas directed through a filter element provided in a filter region after passing through the process channel, and the filtered process gas drawn in by the at least one fan unit.