With　the　scarcity　of　resources　and　the　growing　consumer　demand　for　rare　earth　elements　(RE),　it　is　imperative　to　develop　clean　and　sustainable　methods　to　recover　these　valuable　elements.　This　research　proposes　a　novel　green　process　for　the　selective　recovery　of　RE　from　spent　NdFeB　permanent　magnet　using　hydrophobic　deep　eutectic　solvent　(HDES).　A　total　of　13　HDES　systems　composed　of　trioctylphosphine　oxide　(TOPO)　as　hydrogen　bond　acceptor　(HBA)　and　alcohols　as　hydrogen　bond　donor　(HBD)　were　prepared　and　characterized.　Through　a　simple　screening　process,　it　was　determined　that　ternary　HDES　(DA:MA:TOPO　=　5:5:4)　exhibited　the　best　extraction　and　separation　performance　for　REs　and　Fe.　The　extraction　conditions　such　as　aqueous　phase　acidity,　organic/aqueous　phase　ratio,　the　concentration　of　Fe3+　and　equilibration　time　were　further　studied　and　optimized.　Under　the　most　suitable　conditions,　HDES　(DA:MA:TOPO　=　5:5:4)　was　used　for　batch　countercurrent　extraction,　where　the　concentration　of　REs　in　the　raffinate　was　lowered　from　4390　mg/L　to　34　mg/L,　and　the　recovery　reached　99%.　The　HDES　could　be　stripped　by　0.2　mol/L　Na2C2O4,　which　could　further　separate　a　small　amount　of　loaded　Fe　(133　mg/L)　and　RE,　so　that　the　purity　of　the　final　product　reached　＞99%.　The　stripped　HDES　could　be　recovered　after　washing　with　deionized　water.　Even　after　five　cycles,　HDES　still　maintained　good　stability.　This　innovative　process　does　not　require　the　use　of　salting-out　agents　or　toxic　volatile　solvents,　providing　new　possibilities　for　efficient　and　clean　separation.　©　2023　Elsevier　B.V.