Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Common Stock [Member]	Class B Convertible Common Stock [Member]	Capital In Excess of Par Value [Member]	Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit) [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]	Total Vishay Stockholders' Equity [Member]	Noncontrolling Interests [Member]	Total
Balance at January 1, 2015 at Dec. 31, 2014	$ 13,532	$ 1,213	$ 2,055,246	$ (175,485)	$ (69,140)	$ 1,825,366	$ 5,511	$ 1,830,877
Net earnings (loss)	0	0	0	(108,514)	0	(108,514)	781	(107,733)
Other comprehensive income (loss)	0	0	0	0	(62,187)	(62,187)	0	(62,187)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0	0	0	(725)	(725)
Acquisition of noncontrolling interests								0
Restricted stock issuances	14	0	(653)	0	0	(639)	0	(639)
Dividends declared	0	0	32	(35,449)	0	(35,417)	0	(35,417)
Stock compensation expense	0	0	3,846	0	0	3,846	0	3,846
Tax effects of stock plan	0	0	21	0	0	21	0	21
Balance at Dec. 31, 2015	13,546	1,213	2,058,492	(319,448)	(131,327)	1,622,476	5,567	1,628,043
Net earnings (loss)	0	0	0	48,792	0	48,792	581	49,373
Other comprehensive income (loss)	0	0	0	0	36,675	36,675	0	36,675
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0	0	0	(707)	(707)
Acquisition of noncontrolling interests								0
Share repurchase	(175)	0	(22,984)	0	0	(23,159)	0	(23,159)
Temporary equity reclassification	0	0	(88,659)	0	0	(88,659)	0	(88,659)
Restricted stock issuances	11	0	(553)	0	0	(542)	0	(542)
Dividends declared	0	0	36	(36,761)	0	(36,725)	0	(36,725)
Stock compensation expense	0	0	6,380	0	0	6,380	0	6,380
Stock options exercised	3	0	353	0	0	356	0	356
Tax effects of stock plan	0	0	(77)	0	0	(77)	0	(77)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2016	13,385	1,213	1,952,988	(307,417)	(94,652)	1,565,517	5,441	1,570,958
Cumulative effect of accounting change for adoption of ASU	0	0	0	386	0	386	0	386
Net earnings (loss)	0	0	0	(20,344)	0	(20,344)	784	(19,560)
Other comprehensive income (loss)	0	0	0	0	120,366	120,366	0	120,366
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0	0	0	(1,140)	(1,140)
Acquisition of noncontrolling interests	0	0	(1,047)	0	0	(1,047)	(3,053)	(4,100)
Share repurchase	(225)	0	(39,719)	0	0	(39,944)	0	(39,944)
Temporary equity reclassification	0	0	(163,411)	0	0	(163,411)	0	(163,411)
Restricted stock issuances	20	0	(1,991)	0	0	(1,971)	0	(1,971)
Dividends declared	0	0	40	(37,089)	0	(37,049)	0	(37,049)
Stock compensation expense	0	0	4,394	0	0	4,394	0	4,394
Stock options exercised	8	0	1,252	0	0	1,260	0	1,260
Balance at Dec. 31, 2017	$ 13,188	$ 1,213	$ 1,752,506	$ (364,464)	$ 25,714	$ 1,428,157	$ 2,032	$ 1,430,189