OBJECTIVE To present our 15‐year experience of laparoscopic retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (LRPLND) combined with adjuvant chemotherapy (after RPLND) for patients with nonseminomatous germ cell tumour and positive nodes (pN+), evaluating the morbidity and long‐term oncological outcome. PATIENTS AND METHODS Data for 87 patients with clinical stage I GCT were collected prospectively from 1992 to 2007. Primary diagnostic LRPLND was performed for pathological staging using a modified‐template dissection. Patients with lymph node involvement had adjuvant chemotherapy, with two cycles of bleomycin, etoposide and cisplatin. RESULTS The mean (range) operative duration was 177 (68–360) min, and the hospital stay 6 (4–18) days. Positive nodes were identified in 24% of patients, who subsequently had adjuvant chemotherapy. After a mean (range) follow‐up of 84 (1–186) months, distant relapse occurred in 9% of patients with pathological stage I (no adjuvant chemotherapy), including three patients with pulmonary metastases, two with retroperitoneal recurrence (outside the template field), two biochemical recurrences (α‐fetoprotein elevated) and one port‐site metastasis. No patients with pN+ disease relapsed. There were complications after surgery in 9% of patients, i.e. one pulmonary embolus, one lymphocoele, temporary ureteric stenting in two, ureteric stenosis requiring surgical repair in three and retrograde ejaculation in one patient. All patients remain disease‐free. CONCLUSIONS After gaining experience, LRPLND has comparable operative times to contemporary open series, and low morbidity. The two retroperitoneal recurrences (2.5%) were outside the template field. No patients with pN+ had a recurrence, showing the efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy. Our approach provides excellent oncological outcomes, avoiding intensive surveillance.