A surveying device with a targeting unit carried by a support, the targeting unit being arranged rotatable relative to a vertical axis and a tilt axis as a first and a second axis of rotation, for emitting a distance measurement beam in an emission direction into free space, the emission direction being variable with respect to the vertical axis and the tilt axis. The device further comprises a beam deflection element such as a partially transparent rotatable mirror, situated in the targeting unit and being rotatable about a deflection axis as a third axis of rotation. The deflection axis is congruent to the tilt axis and the beam deflection element is arranged in such a way in the distance measurement beam path that the emission direction can be varied with respect to the deflection axis.