A method for producing a preform (100, 100', 100") of an anti-resonant hollow-core fiber, comprising the steps of: a) providing a cladding tube, which comprises a cladding-tube inner bore and a cladding-tube longitudinal axis, along which a cladding-tube wall extends that is delimited by an inner face and an outer face; b) preparing a number of anti-resonance-element preforms, each comprising an ARE outer tube and an ARE inner tube inserted therein; c) preparing a positioning template (400, 400', 400"), comprising a number of through-openings passing through the positioning template (400, 400', 400"), each through-opening being adapted for longitudinal guidance of an anti-resonance-element preform, the positioning template (400, 400', 400") and the cladding tube being made of the same material, so that the positioning template (400, 400', 400") and the cladding tube comprise substantially the same chemical substance and the total mass of the different chemical elements in the positioning template (400, 400', 400") and the cladding tube is less than 1 wt.%; d) attaching the positioning template (400, 400', 400") to a first end of the cladding tube; e) introducing at least parts of the anti-resonance-element preforms through the through-openings in order to arrange the anti-resonance-element preforms in the cladding-tube inner bore; and f) processing an assembly (110, 110', 110", 110′′′) comprising the cladding tube, the anti-resonance-element preforms and the positioning template (400, 400', 400") by means of a hot-forming process selected from at least one of elongation and collapse, characterized in that the positioning template (400, 400', 400") comprises at least one centering surface which interacts with the first end of the cladding tube in a self-centering manner such that the anti-resonance-element preforms are arranged at desired positions in step e) "introducing." a) providing a cladding tube, which comprises a cladding-tube inner bore and a cladding-tube longitudinal axis, along which a cladding-tube wall extends that is delimited by an inner face and an outer face; b) preparing a number of anti-resonance-element preforms, each comprising an ARE outer tube and an ARE inner tube inserted therein; c) preparing a positioning template (400, 400', 400"), comprising a number of through-openings passing through the positioning template (400, 400', 400"), each through-opening being adapted for longitudinal guidance of an anti-resonance-element preform, the positioning template (400, 400', 400") and the cladding tube being made of the same material, so that the positioning template (400, 400', 400") and the cladding tube comprise substantially the same chemical substance and the total mass of the different chemical elements in the positioning template (400, 400', 400") and the cladding tube is less than 1 wt.%; d) attaching the positioning template (400, 400', 400") to a first end of the cladding tube; e) introducing at least parts of the anti-resonance-element preforms through the through-openings in order to arrange the anti-resonance-element preforms in the cladding-tube inner bore; and f) processing an assembly (110, 110', 110", 110′′′) comprising the cladding tube, the anti-resonance-element preforms and the positioning template (400, 400', 400") by means of a hot-forming process selected from at least one of elongation and collapse,