N-Vinyl-N-alkyl-carbamic acid chlorides are manufactured by reacting crude Schiff bases, which have advantageously been manufactured in the presence of pentane, with phosgene and tertiary amines, treating the reaction mixture with water and then isolating the end product, after having separated off the aqueous phase containing the amine salt. The products are starting materials for the manufacture of surface-coating intermediates, plastics, paints and crop protection agents.