An optical waveguide element includes a substrate and an optical waveguide that is disposed on the substrate. The optical waveguide has an effective refractive index change portion in which an effective refractive index of the optical waveguide related to a fundamental mode A parallel to a plane of polarization of a light wave propagated through the optical waveguide changes according to propagation of the light wave. In the effective refractive index change portion, a cross-sectional shape of the optical waveguide which is perpendicular to a propagation direction of the light wave is set such that the effective refractive index of the optical waveguide related to the fundamental mode A is higher than an effective refractive index of the optical waveguide related to another fundamental mode B perpendicular to the fundamental mode A.