A process is disclosed for preparing a carbamic acid phenyl ester of the formula (I) ##STR1## wherein R is alkyl having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, aryl, cycloalkyl having 5 or 6 carbon atoms, or aralkyl having 7 to 16 carbon atoms, wherein the aryl, cycloalkyl or aralkyl is unsubstituted or substituted by at least one alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms;R.sub.1 is hydrogen, alkyl having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkoxy having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, cyanomethyl, 1,3-dioxolan-2-yl, or carboalkoxyamino wherein the alkoxy group contains 1 to 4 carbon atoms;R.sub.2 is hydrogen, halogen, alkyl having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or alkoxy having 1 to 4 carbon atoms; orR.sub.1 and R.sub.2 form together a carbocyclic ring or a heterocyclic ring fused to the phenyl ring wherein the carbocyclic ring of the heterocyclic ring is unsubstituted or substituted by at least one alkyl having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, which comprises acylating a phenol of the formula (II) ##STR2## with a compound of the formula (IV) ##STR3## in the presence of a base. The compounds obtained are valuable intermediates.