The invention relates to a process for the preparation of hydroxylammonium, said process comprising the steps of: a) feeding gaseous hydrogen to a reaction mixture, said reaction mixture comprising an aqueous reaction medium and a gaseous phase; b) catalytically reducing, in said reaction mixture, nitrate or nitrogen oxide with hydrogen to form the hydroxylammonium; c) withdrawing a gas mixture from the reaction mixture, said gas mixture comprising gaseous hydrogen and gaseous non-hydrogen compounds; d) separating at least part of the gaseous non-hydrogen compounds from the gas mixture to obtain a hydrogen-enriched gas; and e) passing the hydrogen-enriched gas to a hydrogenation zone.