The electroless nickel plating on high alumina ceramics was performed in the bath containing nickel chloride, sodium hypophosphite and mono- or bi-carboxylic acid as a complexing agent in order to examine the empirical rate law as well as the effects of the complexing agent, plating temperature and pH on the rate of deposition. Adding the carboxylic acid to the plating bath, the rate of deposition was increased considerably, and each of the complexing agents showed a maximum deposition rate plateau around a particular concentration of the complexing agent. The rate of deposition was increased with increasing either temperature or pH, but microstructure of the surface became more rough. Furthermore, empirical rate law of the elecltroless nickel deposition on high alumina ceramics was discussed with the activation energy and other rate parameters calculated.