What happens when my domain expires?
After a domain expires, it will be available for registration by anybody. It is recommended to renew your domain as early as 90 days before the actual expiry to ensure that there is no loss of service.
Once a domain expires, it is released and back up for sale. If this is purchased by anybody else, there is very little you can do to recover it. However in some cases the new owner is willing to sell the domain back.