A method for producing a shell catalyst comprising a porous catalyst support shaped body with an outer shell containing at least one transition metal in metal form. To provide a shell catalyst with a relatively small shell thickness, a device is set up to circulate the catalyst support shaped bodies by means of process gases with a reductive effect. The device is charged with catalyst support shaped bodies that are circulated by means of a process gas with a reductive effect, an outer shell of the catalyst support shaped bodies is impregnated with a transition-metal precursor compound by spraying the circulating catalyst support shaped bodies with a solution containing the transition-metal precursor compound, the metal component of the transition-metal precursor compound is converted into the metal form by reduction by means of the process gas, and the catalyst support shaped bodies sprayed with the solution are dried.