In order to carry out a handover procedure, in which a radio link between a mobile station and a radio communications system, which is set up via a first transmitting/receiving unit, is switched to a second transmitting/receiving unit, the mobile station sends a handover signaling message to the second transmitting/receiving unit in order to set up a connection to the second transmitting/receiving unit. The handover signaling message contains as the handover procedure identifier a code word, whose value matches a handover code which is reserved for handover procedures in the radio communications system, and on the basis of which further transmitting/receiving units in the radio communications system which receive the handover signaling message identify it as a handover signaling message.