The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method whereby
rare earth elements can be separated and recovered at a higher yield than by conventional techniques. The method for separating and recovering
rare earth elements, whereby multiple kinds of
rare earth elements are separated and recovered, comprises: a step for achieving
chemical equilibrium among rare earth halides of rare earth elements of group 1 and rare earth oxyhalides of rare earth elements of group 2, by chemically reacting a mixture, said mixture containing halides of the multiple kinds of rare earth elements, in the presence of an
oxygen source, or by chemically reacting a mixture, said mixture containing oxides of the multiple kinds of rare earth elements, in the presence of a
halogen source; a step for pouring the rare earth halides and the rare earth oxyhalides into water to selectively dissolve the rare earth halides in water, and thus extracting the rare earth halides into a
liquid phase while allowing the rare earth oxyhalides to remain as a
solid phase; and a step for subjecting the
liquid phase, which contains the rare earth halides extracted therein, and the
solid phase of the remaining rare earth oxyhalides to
solid / liquid separation to thereby separate the rare earth elements of group 1 from the rare earth elements of group 2.