Auto-injector for administering a dose of a liquid medicament (M), the auto-injector having a distal end (P) and a proximal end (D) with an orifice intended to be applied against an injection site and comprising: - an elongate housing containing a syringe with a hollow needle and a stopper for sealing the syringe and displacing the medicament (M), wherein the syringe is slidably arranged with respect to the housing , - a drive means in the shape of a drive spring capable of, upon activation: - pushing the needle from a covered position into an advanced position through the orifice and past the proximal end (P), and - operating the syringe to supply the dose of medicament (M), and - activating means locking the drive means in a compressed state prior to manual operation and capable of, upon manual operation, releasing the drive means for injection, - a shroud , - a protective needle shield attached to the needle in a manner to partially protrude beyond the proximal end of the shroud through the orifice with the needle in its advanced position, - a syringe carrier arranged inside the shroud for holding the syringe , the syringe carrier slidable with respect to the shroud , wherein the drive means bears against a drive collar that moves in sync with the syringe , the shroud is arranged at least partially inside the housing , the shroud slidable in longitudinal direction between at least a retracted position, in which the needle is exposable and an advanced position, in which the needle is covered by the shroud , wherein extension of the shroud in proximal direction is prevented by protrusions contacting the drive collar , wherein the shroud is locked in the retracted position prior to manual operation of the activation means , wherein the syringe carrier comprises at least one resilient snap (4.2) for locking it to the shroud in order to prevent relative axial motion, wherein the snap (4.2) is supported from inside by the protective needle shield when attached to the needle in order to remain engaged with the shroud and wherein the snap (4.2) is inwardly biased to disengage from the shroud without support from inside in a manner to automatically disengage upon removal of the protective needle shield thus allowing the syringe and needle to be retracted into the covered position under load of the syringe spring , wherein the syringe spring bears against the shroud and against the syringe carrier and wherein the shroud is unlocked when the drive means has been released and automatically moves towards the advanced position under load of a syringe spring when the auto-injector is removed from the injection site in the course of an injection or after the injection has been completed. - an elongate housing containing a syringe with a hollow needle and a stopper for sealing the syringe and displacing the medicament (M), wherein the syringe is slidably arranged with respect to the housing , - a drive means in the shape of a drive spring capable of, upon activation: - pushing the needle from a covered position into an advanced position through the orifice and past the proximal end (P), and - operating the syringe to supply the dose of medicament (M), and - pushing the needle from a covered position into an advanced position through the orifice and past the proximal end (P), and - operating the syringe to supply the dose of medicament (M), and - activating means locking the drive means in a compressed state prior to manual operation and capable of, upon manual operation, releasing the drive means for injection, - a shroud , - a protective needle shield attached to the needle in a manner to partially protrude beyond the proximal end of the shroud through the orifice with the needle in its advanced position, - a syringe carrier arranged inside the shroud for holding the syringe , the syringe carrier slidable with respect to the shroud , <EOS>