The bias dependence is studied of the photoluminescence (PL) intensity of metal–insulator–n‐InP structures obtained by growing native oxide by a plasma bilayer technique. The MIS structures exhibit an interface density of states dominated by a discrete level at about 0.45 eV below the conduction band. The PL intensity is thus calculated by using the Stevenson‐Keyes expression for the surface recombination velocity S. By comparison of the experimental results and the calculated curves, it is concluded that S is small, in any case lower than about 104 cm/s. The PL changes, as a function of the bias voltage, can be understood essentially in terms of the variations of the width of the space charge layer.