[en] Analytical methods for the spent nuclear fuel (SF) have been greatly innovated recently. This methodological innovation is mainly caused by rapid and remarkable progress of induced coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) which is utilized for the isotopic analysis of actinoid elements (U, Np, Pu, Am, Cm) and fission product elements in the SF samples. The quantity of the objective element as well as the volume of the sample solution needed for the ICP-MS measurement are, in principle, much less than required for the measurement by other analytical methods. Because of its highly sensitive characteristic, the ICP-MS becomes the most powerful method for the analysis of radioactive samples such as SF. The utilization of the analytical method based on the ICP-MS makes it possible to reduce the radiation dose of the operator and to minimize the amount of the radioactive wastes generated from the analytical work. For the precise and accurate isotopic analysis of the objective element in the SF sample by mass spectrometry, the interfering element having isobars needs to be separated prior to the measurement. The separation method has also made remarkable progress in recent years. Most of the advancement of the separation method involves the improvement of the conventional method such as ion-chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography or extraction chromatography so that the separation method conforms to the detection using advanced ICP-MS. Furthermore, the application of such new method as the capillary electrophoresis chromatography to the separation of the element in the SF is examined. Ultimately, the analytical system with the chromatographic separation process combined on-line with the ICP-MS detection is considered to be the most suitable and has been developed and employed to the sensitive, precise and rapid analysis of the many isotopes of various elements in the SF. In Institute of Transuranium (EU) and Argonne National Laboratory (USA), the analyses of SF both from PWR and BWR were conducted recently using the methods developed, and the data was obtained of the amount of more than 70 kinds of nuclides with high precision enough for the evaluation of the inventory of the SF samples. This review highlights the development of the separation methods and isotopic analysis methods for the analysis of the SF based on more than 50 recent publications and the future problems to be solved and prospects are discussed. (author)