A purified hydrochloric acid composition is prepared from a stream of a contaminated hydrochloric acid composition by a process comprising a distillation treatment, wherein at least a first distillation column is operated at a first pressure and a second distillation column is operated at a second pressure, which second pressure is lower than the first pressure; wherein the contaminated hydrochloric acid composition comprises water, contaminants and hydrochloric acid in a first hydrochloric acid concentration of above the azeotropic composition of hydrochloric acid and water at the first pressure; wherein a part of the stream of the contaminated hydrochloric acid composition is fed into the first distillation column to yield a first bottom product comprising water and hydrochloric acid with a hydrochloric acid concentration below the first hydrochloric acid concentration and a first top product comprising hydrochloric acid in a concentration above the azeotropic hydrochloric acid composition at the first pressure; wherein at least a portion of the first bottom product is passed to the second distillation column; wherein another part of the stream of the contaminated hydrochloric acid composition is fed into the second distillation column to yield a second top product comprising contaminants and water, and a second bottom product comprising water and hydrochloric acid; wherein at least a part of the second bottom product is recycled into the first distillation column; and wherein the first top product is recovered as purified hydrochloric acid composition.