The present invention relates to a process for preparing fluoromethyl-substituted heterocyclic compounds of the general formula (I) in which R1 is H or F; R2 is an -[A-O]m—R3 group in which A is C2-C4-alkanediyl, R3 is C1-C4-alkyl and m is 1 or 2; by converting the corresponding chloromethyl-substituted compounds (II) in the presence of fluorinating agents, to processes for preparing the chloromethyl-substituted compounds (II), to processes for preparing amides of the general formula (IV) and to compounds of the general formulae (I) and (II).