Recent development of the friction models for the aluminium extrusion process has been reviewed. These friction models can be classified as three categories, namely, the classic friction models, the empirical friction models and the physically based friction models. A comparative study of the friction models for the bearing channel of hot aluminium extrusion process has been conducted. The results of DAE tests in the present research have shown that the full sticking friction appeared to represent the interfacial contact between the hot aluminium and the die the best. Therefore, in the FE simulations of hot aluminium extrusion, the classic friction models, with m or m at or close to unity could be assigned as friction boundary condition at the workpiece/die interface. This is not only for saving computing time, but also for avoiding convergence problems. The use of empirical friction models might be restricted by process conditions, such as temperature, exit velocity and die geometry etc. The physically based friction models are not recommended to be implemented in the FE simulations as friction boundary conditions, but they can be used as a postprocessor for FE simulations.