The invention discloses a preparation method for perfluoroalkyl iodide with low carbon number. According to the method, under the effect of an anhydrous perfluorocarboxylic silver salt RfCO2Ag and / or an anhydrous perfluorocarboxylic copper salt (RfCO2)2Cu, an anhydrous perfluorocarboxylic acid salt (RfCO2)nM and elementary iodine are subjected to a thermal decomposition reaction to generate the perfluoroalkyl iodide, wherein Rf is independently selected from perfluoroalkyl having carbon atoms of 1-6, n is selected from an integer of 1-6, M is a IA group metal element, a IIA group metal element, a IVA group metal element, a IB group metal element or a IIB group metal element metal. According to the present invention, the preparation method has characteristics of no requirement of the solvent, simple operation, mild reaction, rapid reaction speed, high yield, low cost, high selectivity and environmental protection, and can be used for the industrial production; the prepared perfluoroalkyl iodide can be used for production of fluorine-containing finishing agents, fluorine-containing surfactants and other fluorine-containing fine chemical products.