A centering device, in particular for a tracer-type measuring instrument (1), is proposed. The centering device comprises an instrument carrier (3) defining an instrument axis (7), a carrying shank (41) defining a shank axis (43) and a centering holder (45) holding the instrument carrier (3), with the instrument axis (7) parallel to the shank axis (43), radially movably to the latter, but so as to be capable of being fixed to the carrying shank (41). The centering holder (45) is designed as a parallelogram guide with a parallelogram-link region (59), or a plurality of these regions, distributed about the shank axis (43) and the instrument axis (47) and extending along these axes (7, 43). Such a parallelogram guide may be integrally formed in one piece on the carrying shank (41) and/or on the instrument carrier (3), thus reducing the outlay in terms of production. Setscrews (69) distributed on the circumference of the parallelogram guide make it possible to adjust the shank axis (43) in relation to the instrument axis (7).