Rare earth elementsRare Earth Element (REE) (REEs) are essential for modern technologies, yet their extraction from bastnaesiteBastnaesite remains challenging due to its refractory fluorocarbonate structure. Conventional processing methods, such as alkali roasting and acid baking, require high energy input and generate significant chemical waste. This study investigates microwave-assisted pretreatment with alkali additives as an alternative to conventional methods, aiming to improve REE leachability while reducing energy consumption. BastnaesiteBastnaesite concentrate was pretreated with NaOH, Na2CO3, and K2CO3, under microwave irradiation, followed by hydrochloric acid leachingLeaching. Among the tested additives, NaOH proves most effective, achieving nearly complete REE recoveryREE recovery due to its lower decomposition temperature. The process was optimized using the design of experiment methodology, revealing that HCl concentration, solid-to-liquid ratio, and NaOH-to-bastnaesite ratio significantly influence leachingLeaching efficiency. Under optimal conditions, 98.4% REE recovery was successfully achieved. This research demonstrates the potential of microwave-assisted pretreatment in enhancing REE extraction efficiency while minimizing environmental impactEnvironmental impact.