Long-Term Debt (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended					12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended							12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2010 Credit Facility [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Credit Facility [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Credit Facility [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Exchangeable Unsecured Notes, Due 2102 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Exchangeable Unsecured Notes, Due 2102 [Member]	Jul. 05, 2010 Exchangeable Unsecured Notes, Due 2102 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Convertible Subordinated Notes, due 2023 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2008 Convertible Subordinated Notes, due 2023 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2007 Convertible Subordinated Notes, due 2023 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Convertible Senior Debentures, Due 2040 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Convertible Senior Debentures, Due 2040 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Convertible Senior Debentures, Due 2040 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Convertible Senior Debentures, Due 2041 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Convertible Senior Debentures, Due 2041 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Convertible Senior Debentures 2042 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Convertible Senior Debentures 2042 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Israeli Bank Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	$ 392,931	$ 399,054					$ 89,000	$ 155,000	$ 95,042	$ 95,042					$ 100,166	$ 98,463		$ 51,399	$ 50,549	$ 57,324	$ 0
Less current portion	0	0
Long-term debt, less current portion	392,931	399,054
Credit Facility
Maximum borrowing capacity	528,000				450,000
Expiration date	Dec. 01, 2015
Maximum incremental revolving commitments	22,000
Interest rate description	Borrowings under the Credit Facility bear interest at LIBOR plus an interest margin. The applicable interest margin is based on the Company's leverage ratio. For the year ended December 31, 2011 and through the second fiscal quarter of 2012, borrowings bore interest at LIBOR plus 1.65%. Since the beginning of the third fiscal quarter of 2012 and based on the Company's current leverage ratio, borrowings bear interest at LIBOR plus 1.95%. The interest rate on the Company's borrowings will increase if the Company's leverage ratio equals or exceeds 2.00 to 1 and will decrease if the Company's leverage ratio decreases below 1.50 to 1. Vishay is also required to pay facility commitment fees of 0.35% per annum on the entire commitment amount. Such facility commitment fees will increase if the Company's leverage ratio equals or exceeds 2.50 to 1.
Basis spread on variable rate (in hundredths)	1.95%			1.65%
Commitment fees (in hundredths)	0.35%
Covenant terms	On September 8, 2011, Vishay entered into an amendment to the Credit Facility that permits the Company to repurchase shares of its common stock up to a permitted capacity, conditioned upon Vishay maintaining (i) a pro forma leverage ratio of 2.75 to 1.00, (ii) a pro forma interest expense coverage ratio of 2.00 to 1.00, and (iii) $400,000 of available liquidity, as defined in the amendment. Beginning in 2012, the permitted capacity to repurchase shares of the Company's outstanding common stock under the Credit Facility began to increase each quarter by an amount equal to 20% of net income. At December 31, 2012, the Credit Facility allows the Company to repurchase up to $174,548 of its common stock. The amount and timing of any future stock repurchases remains subject to authorization of the Company's Board of Directors.
Line of Credit Facility, Covenant Compliance	The Credit Facility also contains customary events of default, including, but not limited to, failure to pay principal or interest, failure to pay or default under other material debt, misrepresentation or breach of warranty, violation of certain covenants, a change of control, the commencement of bankruptcy proceedings, the insolvency of Vishay or certain of its significant subsidiaries, and the rendering of a judgment in excess of $25,000 against Vishay or certain of its significant subsidiaries. Upon the occurrence of an event of default under the Credit Facility, Vishay's obligations under the credit facility may be accelerated and the lending commitments under the credit facility terminated.
Permitted stock repurchase capacity under credit facility	174,548
Available borrowing capacity	431,295	286,995
Letters of credit outstanding	7,705	8,005
Committed and uncommitted short-term credit lines	18,200	15,500
Debt Instruments [Abstract]
Convertible senior debentures issuance date															Nov. 09, 2010			May 13, 2011		May 31, 2012
Debt maturity date									Dec. 13, 2102						Nov. 15, 2040			May 15, 2041		Jun. 01, 2042
Principal amount of debt	575,000	425,000									105,000			500,000	275,000	275,000		150,000	150,000	150,000
Stated rate of interest on debt (in hundredths)												3.625%			2.25%			2.25%		2.25%
Effective rate of interest on convertible senior debentures (in hundredths)															8.00%			8.375%		7.50%
Debt instrument percentage of conversion price (in hundredths)															130.00%			130.00%		130.00%
Debt Instrument Effective Conversion Price Amount									$ 15.39						$ 13.88			$ 19.02		$ 11.81
Debt instrument, conversion trigger															$ 18.04			$ 24.73		$ 15.35
Debt instrument, Percentage of sale price of common stock (in hundredths)															98.00%			98.00%		98.00%
Debt instrument, initial conversion shares of common stock (shares per $1000 principal)															72.0331			52.5659		84.6937
Convertible senior debentures call date															Nov. 20, 2020			May 20, 2021		Jun. 07, 2022
Liability and equity components of convertible debentures [Abstract]
Principal amount of the debentures	575,000	425,000									105,000			500,000	275,000	275,000		150,000	150,000	150,000
Unamortized discount	(367,414)	(276,974)													(175,456)	(177,131)		(99,000)	(99,843)	(92,958)
Embedded derivative	1,303	986													622	594		399	392	282
Carrying value of liability component	208,889	149,012													100,166	98,463		51,399	50,549	57,324
Equity component - net carrying value	230,214	172,340													110,094	110,094		62,246	62,246	57,874
Interest expense related to debentures [Abstract]
Contractual coupon interest	11,541	8,316													6,188	6,188	773	3,375	2,128	1,978
Non-cash amortization of debt discount	3,028	2,046	188												1,675	1,548	188	843	498	510
Non-cash amortization of deferred financing costs	165	117													88	88	11	45	29	32
Non-cash change in value of derivative liability	81	456													28	275	(55)	7	181	46
Total interest expense related to the debentures	14,815	10,935													7,979	8,099	917	4,270	2,836	2,566
Number of shares of common stock the Notes are exchangeable into (in shares)									6,176,471
Interest rate terms									The notes bear interest at LIBOR. Interest continues to be payable quarterly on March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 31 of each calendar year. The interest rate could be further reduced to 50% of LIBOR if the price of Vishay's common stock is above $40.73 per share for thirty or more consecutive trading days.
Percentage of note holders exercising option to require the company to repurchase their notes (in hundredths)													99.60%
Extinguishment of debt												1,870
Debt instrument percentage of conversion price (in hundredths)															130.00%			130.00%		130.00%
Loan repayments						90,000																13,500
Aggregate annual maturities of long-term debt [Abstract]
2013	0
2014	0
2015	89,000
2016	0
2017	0
Thereafter	670,042
Interest paid	$ 16,578	$ 14,084	$ 9,120