The invention discloses a multi-pass SAR coherent change detection method based on a general likelihood ratio. The multi-pass SAR coherent change detection method includes the steps that S1, multi-pass SAR image pairs are selected and recorded as {f1, f2,..,fk}; S2, multi-pass SAR image pixel pairs are selected; S3, maximum likelihood estimation is carried out on a covariance matrix; S4, likelihood ratio hypothesis testing is carried out; S5, the multi-pass SAR image pixel pairs are sequentially selected, and the step S4 is repeated to obtain a change detection result. The multi-pass SAR coherent change detection method assumes that complex pixels corresponding to an SAR imaging area changing in the multiple image collecting stage and complex pixels corresponding to the SAR imaging area not changing in the multiple image collecting stage follow different circular symmetry complex Gaussian distributions respectively, the covariance matrix of the circular symmetry complex Gaussian distributions in the assumption is estimated, then detection statistics is determined and compared with a threshold, whether the two assumptions succeed or not is checked, namely whether the imaging area changes or not is detected, the tiny changes can be detected, and the changing process can be observed.