A method for manufacturing a nitride semiconductor laser element has: (a) forming a nitride semiconductor layer on a substrate; (b) forming a ridge on a surface of the nitride semiconductor; (c) forming a first protective film on the nitride semiconductor layer including the ridge; (d) removing the first protective film from at least a top face of the ridge; (e) forming a conductive layer composed of a two or more of multilayer film with different compositions on the first protective film and the nitride semiconductor layer including the ridge, and introducing a gap at locations of at least at the uppermost conductive layer corresponding to the base portion from the ridge shoulders; and (f) removing part of the conductive layer through a gap to form a void defined by the first protective film and the conductive layer at least on the ridge base portions.