What stages does a domain go through, from active to permanently deleted?

The lifecycle of an unrenewed domain generally goes through several stages. The exact names and durations differ between registries (RoTLD for .ro, EURid for .eu, others for generic extensions), but the structure is similar:

1. Active — the domain is registered, valid, and working normally.
2. Expired, but still active — the expiration date has passed, but the registry still offers a short grace period during which the domain can be renewed at no extra cost, sometimes even continuing to work for a while.
3. Quarantine / Redemption Period — the domain no longer works (the site and email are down), but can still be recovered by the previous holder, usually for an extra reactivation fee on top of the normal renewal fee (see Why is my domain name in quarantine?). For .ro domains, this period lasts between 15 and 40 days; for many generic extensions, about 30 days; for .eu, about 40 days.
4. Pending Delete — a short window (usually a few days) during which the domain can no longer be recovered by the previous holder and is simply waiting to be permanently removed from the registry.
5. Available again — the domain is permanently deleted from the Registry and can be registered by anyone on a first-come, first-served basis — including through EUReg's domain backorder service, if you're interested in a domain in this situation.

We recommend renewing important domains before they expire, to avoid stages 2-4 entirely and the risk, even if small, of permanently losing the domain.