An apparatus and a method for determining a distance (r) to a target object (200) proposes transmitting electromagnetic waves in the form of a transmission signal (120a) by a transmitter (111a), receiving at least one part of said transmission signal (120a) reflected by a the target object (200) in the form of a reception signal (120c, 120d) by receiving device (111b) and evaluating the reception signal (120c, 120d) according a reference signal (1230b) which has a known phase difference with respect to the transmission signal (120a) and a frequency equal to the frequency thereof. The reference (120) and reception (120c, 120d) signal frequencies are reduced in a frequency divider (113) with the same predefined divider factor (x) while preserving the existing phase difference between the reference signal (120b) and the reception (120c, 120d) signal in such a way that a reduced frequency reception signal (120b′) and a reduced frequency reception signal (120d) are obtained. The frequency difference between the reduced frequency reception signal (120b′) and reduced frequency reception signal (120d′) is evaluated in order to determine the distance (R).