Method for cutting a sheet metal blank from a sheet metal strip continuously conveyed in a transport direction by means of at least one laser cutting device, comprising the following steps: providing a laser cutting device with at least one laser cutting head having a cutting nozzle, which can be moved by means of a control unit along a predetermined cutting path (S1, S2, S1', S2') corresponding to the geometry of the sheet metal blank, cyclic measurement of a distance between the cutting nozzle and a surface of the sheet metal strip at at least one radially outer position (P 1, P 2) with respect to the cutting nozzle by means of a first distance measuring device (8, 9), controlling a movement of the laser cutting head in such a way that, when the cutting nozzle is not in overlap with the sheet metal strip, the first distance measuring device (8, 9) always remains in overlap with the sheet metal strip, wherein the first distance measuring device (i) comprises only one distance sensor attached to a rotatable cutting nozzle, wherein the distance sensor is rotated to a position in which it remains in overlap with the sheet metal strip when the cutting nozzle is not in overlap with the sheet metal strip or (ii) comprises several distance sensors (8, 9) for measuring the distance between the cutting nozzle and the surface of the sheet metal strip at several different positions (P 1, P 2) which are radially outside the cutting nozzle, wherein the distance between the cutting nozzle and the surface of the sheet metal strip is measured at a plurality of different positions (P 1, P 2) which are radially outwardly located with respect to the cutting nozzle by means of the first distance measurement device, and moving the cutting nozzle from a first position not in overlap with the sheet metal strip to a second position in overlap with the sheet metal strip, wherein a height of the cutting nozzle with respect to the surface of the sheet metal strip is controlled using the first distance values provided by the first distance measuring means (8, 9) when the cutting nozzle is moved from the first position towards the second position, wherein at least a section of the cutting path starts at the edge of the sheet metal strip or of an aperture located in the sheet metal strip and runs to the interior of the sheet metal strip, wherein when the cutting nozzle is moved from the first to the second position, a laser beam emerging through the cutting nozzle is generated. providing a laser cutting device with at least one laser cutting head having a cutting nozzle, which can be moved by means of a control unit along a predetermined cutting path (S1, S2, S1', S2') corresponding to the geometry of the sheet metal blank, cyclic measurement of a distance between the cutting nozzle and a surface of the sheet metal strip at at least one radially outer position (P 1, P 2) with respect to the cutting nozzle by means of a first distance measuring device (8, 9), controlling a movement of the laser cutting head in such a way that, when the cutting nozzle is not in overlap with the sheet metal strip, the first distance measuring device (8, 9) always remains in overlap with the sheet metal strip, wherein the first distance measuring device (i) comprises only one distance sensor attached to a rotatable cutting nozzle, wherein the distance sensor is rotated to a position in which it remains in overlap with the sheet metal strip when the cutting nozzle is not in overlap with the sheet metal strip or (ii) comprises several distance sensors (8, 9) for measuring the distance between the cutting nozzle and the surface of the sheet metal strip at several different positions (P 1, P 2) which are radially outside the cutting nozzle, wherein the distance between the cutting nozzle and the surface of the sheet metal strip is measured at a plurality of different positions (P 1, P 2) which are radially outwardly located with respect to the cutting nozzle by means of the first distance measurement device, and moving the cutting nozzle from a first position not in overlap with the sheet metal strip to a second position in overlap with the sheet metal strip, wherein a height of the cutting nozzle with respect to the surface of the sheet metal strip is controlled using the first distance values provided by the first distance measuring means (8, 9) when the cutting nozzle is moved from the first position towards the second position, wherein at least a section of the cutting path starts at the edge of the sheet metal strip or of an aperture located in the sheet metal strip and runs to the interior of the sheet metal strip, wherein when the cutting nozzle is moved from the first to the second position, a laser beam emerging through the cutting nozzle is generated.