The invention pertains to a method for preparing succinic acid which comprises providing an aqueous magnesium succinate solution to an acidification step, wherein the magnesium succinate solution is acidified by the addition of hydrogen chloride, thereby obtaining an aqueous solution comprising succinic acid and magnesium chloride and subjecting the aqueous solution comprising succinic acid and magnesium chloride derived from the acidification step to a treatment step with active carbon followed by precipitating succinic acid from an aqueous mixture comprising succinic acid and magnesium chloride resulting from the active carbon treatment step in a precipitation step to form solid succinic acid. It has been found that the method according to the invention leads to succinic acid crystals with better properties than a comparable method wherein no active carbon treatment is used.