The work aims to summarize and analyze the research status of antimicrobial packaging paper for food at home and abroad, and sum up its technical development trend, so as to provide effective reference for the research on antimicrobial paper. The antimicrobial agent used for food packaging paper, such as inorganic antimicrobial agent, chemosynthetic antimicrobial agent, natural antimicrobial agent and its main antimicrobial mechanism were introduced. Antimicrobial paper for food packaging was classified according to different processing methods like coating, slurry addition, impregnation/spray and fiber modification. The latest research achievements of antimicrobial paper for food packaging at home and abroad were analyzed and summarized. The development trend of antimicrobial paper for food packaging in future was pointed out from such aspects as research and development of safe antimicrobial agents with high-efficiency and its application forms, the promotion of persistence and action mode of antimicrobial effect, and the development of industrial process technology of antimicrobial paper for food packaging. The results showed that the development of antimicrobial papers for food packaging was still in the preliminary stage. The industrialization popularization of the antimicrobial paper was insufficient. The safety, stability and durability of antimicrobial agents used in antimicrobial papers remained to be improved. In conclusion, antimicrobial packaging paper will be more widely applied in food packaging with further research on the green and safe antimicrobial agents with high-efficiency, application form and processing technology of antimicrobial paper.