Provided is a process for producing a surface emitting laser including a surface relief structure provided on laminated semiconductor layers, including the steps of transferring, to a first dielectric film, a first pattern for defining a mesa structure and a second pattern for defining the surface relief structure in the same process; and forming a second dielectric film on the first dielectric film and a surface of the laminated semiconductor layers to which the first pattern and the second pattern have been transferred. Accordingly, a center position of the surface relief structure can be aligned with a center position of a current confinement structure at high precision.