Abstract: Welded rotors are used for steam turbine widely. However, residual stress induced by welding may have a great influence on fatigue life. Considering the martensite phase transformation during the welding process, the finite element method was employed to simulate the welding residual stress. The effect of residual stress on local fatigue life distribution was investigated in a turbine low-pressure rotor welded by narrow gap submerged arc welding. A good agreement between the simulated residual stress and those of experiment was achieved. It reveals that the axial residual stresses are compressive on both inner and outer surface in weldment zone. In addition, the magnitude of axial residual stress is less than that of the hoop residual stress. Due to the welding residual stress, both high and low cycle fatigue life decrease on the inner or outer surface of heat affected zone. Nevertheless, fatigue crack propagation is promoted by the welding residual stresses in this area.