Method for hot-dip coating of a steel flat product with a metallic protective coating, comprising the following working steps: a) provision of a steel flat product obtained by cold- or hot-rolling, which is produced from a steel, containing as well as iron and unavoidable contaminants (in wt.%): Cr: 5.0 - 30.0% Ni: 2.0 - 30.0% Mn: ≤ 6.0% Mo: ≤ 5.0% Si: ≤ 2.0% Cu: ≤ 2.0% Ti: ≤ 1.0% Nb: ≤ 1.0 % V: ≤ 0.5% N: ≤ 0.2% Al: ≤ 2.0% C: ≤ 0.5% b) within 1 - 30 s, heating of the steel flat product to a holding temperature between 700 and 1100°C, wherein heating takes place under a heating atmosphere which has a dew point TP1 set to -15°C to +30°C and which contains, as well as N 2 and technically unavoidable contaminants, optionally one or more of the following constituents (in vol.%): H 2: 1 - 50%, CO: 0.1 - 2.0%, CO 2: 5.0 - 15.0%; c) holding of the heated steel flat product at the holding temperature for a holding duration of 10 - 120 s under a holding atmosphere which consists of N 2 and technically unavoidable contaminants and 1.0 - 50.0 vol.% H 2 and up to 1.0 vol.% O 2, and the dew point TP2 of which is set to -30°C to 0°C; d) cooling of the steel flat product from the holding temperature to a strip inlet temperature amounting to 430 - 800°C; e) passage of the steel flat product through an inlet zone, in which the steel flat product is held under an inert or reducing atmosphere, which consists of N 2 and technically unavoidable contaminants and optionally 1.0 - 50.0 vol.% H 2, and its dew point TP4 is -80°C to -25°C until entry into the melt bath, and subsequent passage through a melt bath in which the steel flat product is hot-dip coated with the metallic coating; wherein the dew point TP1 of the heating atmosphere is higher than the dew point TP2 of the holding atmosphere, and the dew point TP2 is higher than the dew point TP4 of the inlet atmosphere. a) provision of a steel flat product obtained by cold- or hot-rolling, which is produced from a steel, containing as well as iron and unavoidable contaminants (in wt.%): Cr: 5.0 - 30.0% Ni: 2.0 - 30.0% Mn: ≤ 6.0% Mo: ≤ 5.0% Si: ≤ 2.0% Cu: ≤ 2.0% Ti: ≤ 1.0% Nb: ≤ 1.0 % V: ≤ 0.5% N: ≤ 0.2% Al: ≤ 2.0% C: ≤ 0.5% Cr: 5.0 - 30.0% Ni: 2.0 - 30.0% Mn: ≤ 6.0% Mo: ≤ 5.0% Si: ≤ 2.0% Cu: ≤ 2.0% Ti: ≤ 1.0% Nb: ≤ 1.0 % V: ≤ 0.5% N: ≤ 0.2% Al: ≤ 2.0% C: ≤ 0.5% b) within 1 - 30 s, heating of the steel flat product to a holding temperature between 700 and 1100°C, wherein heating takes place under a heating atmosphere which has a dew point TP1 set to -15°C to +30°C and which contains, as well as N 2 and technically unavoidable contaminants, optionally one or more of the following constituents (in vol.%): H 2: 1 - 50%, CO: 0.1 - 2.0%, CO 2: 5.0 - 15.0%; H 2: 1 - 50%, CO: 0.1 - 2.0%, CO 2: 5.0 - 15.0%; c) holding of the heated steel flat product at the holding temperature for a holding duration of 10 - 120 s under a holding atmosphere which consists of N 2 and technically unavoidable contaminants and 1.0 - 50.0 vol.% H 2 and up to 1.0 vol.% O 2, and the dew point TP2 of which is set to -30°C to 0°C; d) cooling of the steel flat product from the holding temperature to a strip inlet temperature amounting to 430 - 800°C; e) passage of the steel flat product through an inlet zone, in which the steel flat product is held under an inert or reducing atmosphere, which consists of N 2 and technically unavoidable contaminants and optionally 1.0 - 50.0 vol.% H 2, and its dew point TP4 is -80°C to -25°C until entry into the melt bath, and subsequent passage through a melt bath in which the steel flat product is hot-dip coated with the metallic coating;