Provided is a method for manufacturing a nitride semiconductor light emitting element. In the method, when an isolation trench for chip isolation and for laser lift-off is formed, a degradation-free nitride semiconductor light emitting element with high luminance can be formed without doing any damages to a light emitting region. In an n type nitride semiconductor layer 2, a step A is formed in a region beyond an active layer 3 looked from a p side. A protective insulating film 6 covers, to a portion of the step A, side surfaces of a part of the n type nitride semiconductor layer 2, the active layer 3, a p type nitride semiconductor layer 4, and a p electrode 5 as well as a part of an upper side of the p electrode 5. With a structure in which side surfaces of a chip are covered with the protective insulating film 6, when the isolation trench for chip isolation and for laser lift-off is formed using etching, the active layer 3 and the like are not exposed to etching gas for a long time.