Provided is a method for producing a positive electrode active material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries, the method including: a mixing step of obtaining a W-containing mixture of Li-metal composite oxide particles represented by the formula: LizNi1-x-yCoxMyO2 and composed of primary particles and secondary particles formed by aggregation of the primary particles, 2 mass % or more of water with respect to the oxide particles, and a W compound or a W compound and a Li compound, the W-containing mixture having a molar ratio of the total amount of Li contained in the water and the solid W compound, or the W compound and the Li compound of 1.5 or more and less than 3.0 with respect to the amount of W contained therein; and a heat treatment step of heating the W-containing mixture to form lithium tungstate on the surface of the primary particles.