A self-piercing nut element that is designed to be pressed into a sheet metal part, with the nut element having the following features: a head part forming a flange, a central bore in the head part which is designed to receive a bolt element, which has a central longitudinal axis and a nominal diameter and which has a thread or can be provided with a thread, a sheet metal contact surface formed in a plane at least substantially perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis at the flange, as well as a piercing section extending away from the head part at the side of the sheet metal contact surface in the direction of the longitudinal axis, wherein the piercing section has a peripheral extending groove below the sheet metal contact surface and wherein the piercing section has a piercing edge at its free end face, characterized in that the self-piercing nut element has a strength in the range between 700 and 900 MPa, in exceptional cases up to 1250 MPa and for the self-piercing attachment of the nut element into a sheet metal part of higher strength, or into a sheet metal part with a thickness of greater than 3.5 mm, with the nut element being designed in such a way that the piercing edge is spaced apart from the boundary of the groove adjacent to the piercing edge by a peripheral surface having an axial height which corresponds to at least 30% and preferably to at least 50% of the sheet metal thickness, wherein the radial wall thickness of the piercing section in the region of its free end face from the outer side of the piercing section up to the nominal diameter corresponds to a thickness between 1.2 to 1.8 and preferably 1.5 times the intended sheet metal thickness. a head part forming a flange, a central bore in the head part which is designed to receive a bolt element, which has a central longitudinal axis and a nominal diameter and which has a thread or can be provided with a thread, a sheet metal contact surface formed in a plane at least substantially perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis at the flange, as well as a piercing section extending away from the head part at the side of the sheet metal contact surface in the direction of the longitudinal axis, wherein the piercing section has a peripheral extending groove below the sheet metal contact surface and wherein the piercing section has a piercing edge at its free end face, characterized in that the self-piercing nut element has a strength in the range between 700 and 900 MPa, in exceptional cases up to 1250 MPa and for the self-piercing attachment of the nut element into a sheet metal part of higher strength, or into a sheet metal part with a thickness of greater than 3.5 mm, with the nut element being designed in such a way that the piercing edge is spaced apart from the boundary of the groove adjacent to the piercing edge by a peripheral surface having an axial height which corresponds to at least 30% and preferably to at least 50% of the sheet metal thickness, wherein the radial wall thickness of the piercing section in the region of its free end face from the outer side of the piercing section up to the nominal diameter corresponds to a thickness between 1.2 to 1.8 and preferably 1.5 times the intended sheet metal thickness.