A manufacturing method of a flip-chip nitride semiconductor light emitting element including: a nitride semiconductor light emitting element structure having an n-type nitride semiconductor layer and a p-type nitride semiconductor layer, which are laminated on a substrate, and an n-side electrode connecting surface of the n-type nitride semiconductor layer and a p-side electrode connecting surface of the p-type nitride semiconductor layer on the same side of the substrate, an n-side electrode being connected to the n-side electrode connecting surface and a p-side electrode being connected to the p-side electrode connecting surface; and metal bumps (23, 24) formed on the n-side electrode and the p-side electrode, the method comprising sequential steps of: a protective layer forming step of forming an insulating protective layer on the nitride semiconductor light emitting element structure; a first resist pattern forming step of forming a first resist pattern having openings (30a, 30b) above the n-side electrode connecting surface and the p-side electrode connecting surface; a protective layer etching step of etching the protective layer to expose the n-side electrode connecting surface and the p-side electrode connecting surface using the first resist pattern as a mask; a first metal layer forming step of forming a first metal layer that becomes the n-side electrode and the p-side electrode on the n-side electrode connecting surface, the p-side electrode connecting surface and the first resist pattern; a second resist pattern forming step of forming a second resist pattern having openings (31a, 31b) above the openings of the first resist pattern (30a, 30b), a second metal layer forming step of forming a second metal layer (26a, 26b) that becomes the metal bumps (23, 24) is formed by electrolytic plating using the first metal layer as an electrode for the electrolytic plating; and a resist pattern removing step of removing the first resist pattern and the second resist pattern. a protective layer forming step of forming an insulating protective layer on the nitride semiconductor light emitting element structure; a first resist pattern forming step of forming a first resist pattern having openings (30a, 30b) above the n-side electrode connecting surface and the p-side electrode connecting surface; a protective layer etching step of etching the protective layer to expose the n-side electrode connecting surface and the p-side electrode connecting surface using the first resist pattern as a mask; a first metal layer forming step of forming a first metal layer that becomes the n-side electrode and the p-side electrode on the n-side electrode connecting surface, the p-side electrode connecting surface and the first resist pattern; a second resist pattern forming step of forming a second resist pattern having openings (31a, 31b) above the openings of the first resist pattern (30a, 30b), a second metal layer forming step of forming a second metal layer (26a, 26b) that becomes the metal bumps (23, 24) is formed by electrolytic plating using the first metal layer as an electrode for the electrolytic plating; and a resist pattern removing step of removing the first resist pattern and the second resist pattern.