The invention concerns a device (1) for inserting a soft cannula (11) into the tissue of a patient. It comprises a housing (2,2a,2b,10,21) having a contact face (3) for placing the device (1) onto the skin of the body and a cannula arrangement (6) which is movably arranged within the housing and provides the soft cannula (11) as well as a guiding needle (12) extending through said cannula (11) for temporarily stiffening it during introduction into the tissue and for providing a puncturing tip (9) for puncturing the skin of the body. The device comprises drive means (8,13) for effecting an insertion movement of the cannula arrangement (6) from a first position, in which the puncturing tip (9) is set back relative to the contact face (3), into a second position, in which said puncturing tip (9) protrudes beyond the contact face and for effecting, after the insertion movement, a retracting movement of the guiding needle (12) from the second position into a third position, in which its puncturing tip (9) is set back relative to the contact face (3). Furthermore, the device (1) is designed in such a manner that, after the insertion movement, automatically the retraction movement is performed.
