An electromagnetic actuator includes an essentially cylindrical pole tube, an armature situated radially within the pole tube, and an electromagnetic coil situated radially outside of the pole tube, the pole tube including a first axial end area, a second axial end area, and an outer recess, which extends in the circumferential direction, in proximity to the first axial end area on an outer side of the pole tube. On an inner side, the pole tube includes an inner recess that extends in the circumferential direction and whose axial extension is smaller than an axial extension of the outer recess and that is situated approximately at the height of an edge area of the outer recess pointing away from the second axial end area viewed in the axial direction.