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Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Registrant Name dei_EntityRegistrantName GOLDMAN SACHS VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST
Prospectus Date rr_ProspectusDate Apr. 30, 2013
Service | Goldman Sachs Strategic International Equity Fund
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk/Return [Heading] rr_RiskReturnHeading Goldman Sachs Strategic International Equity Fund—Summary
Objective [Heading] rr_ObjectiveHeading Investment Objective
Objective, Primary [Text Block] rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock The Goldman Sachs Strategic International Equity Fund (the “Fund”) seeks long-term growth of capital.
Expense [Heading] rr_ExpenseHeading Fees and Expenses of the Fund
Expense Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold Service Shares of the Fund. This table does not reflect the fees and expenses associated with any variable annuity contract or variable life insurance policy that uses the Fund as an investment option. Had those fees and expenses been included, overall fees and expenses would be higher.
Operating Expenses Caption [Text] rr_OperatingExpensesCaption Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination April 30, 2014
Portfolio Turnover [Heading] rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading Portfolio Turnover
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block] rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock The Fund pays transaction costs when it buys and sells securities or instruments (i.e., “turns over” its portfolio). A high rate of portfolio turnover may result in increased transaction costs, including brokerage commissions, which must be borne by the Fund and its shareholders. These costs are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the expense example above, but are reflected in the Fund’s performance. The Fund’s portfolio turnover rate for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012 was 110% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate 110.00%
Expenses Not Correlated to Ratio Due to Acquired Fund Fees [Text] rr_ExpensesNotCorrelatedToRatioDueToAcquiredFundFees The Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses do not correlate to the ratios of net and total expenses to average net assets provided in the Financial Highlights, which reflect the operating expenses of the Fund and do not include Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses.
Expense Example [Heading] rr_ExpenseExampleHeading Expense Example
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. This Example does not reflect the fees and expenses associated with any variable annuity contract or variable life insurance policy that uses the Fund as an investment option. Had those fees and expenses been included, the costs shown below would be higher.

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in Service Shares of the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your Service Shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same (except that the Example incorporates the fee waiver and expense limitation arrangements for only the first year). Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Strategy [Heading] rr_StrategyHeading Principal Strategy
Strategy Narrative [Text Block] rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock The Fund invests, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes (measured at the time of purchase) (“Net Assets”) in a diversified portfolio of equity investments in companies that are organized outside the United States or whose securities are principally traded outside the United States. Such equity investments may include exchange traded funds (“ETFs”), futures and other instruments with similar economic exposures. The Fund intends to invest in companies with public stock market capitalizations that are larger than $500 million at the time of investment, and in at least three foreign countries.

The Fund expects to invest a substantial portion of its assets in the securities of issuers located in the developed countries of Western Europe and in Japan, but may also invest in securities of issuers located in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and in emerging countries. From time to time, the Fund’s investments in a particular developed country may exceed 25% of its investment portfolio. The Fund is “strategic” in that it seeks to provide investors with access to the long term investment opportunity of the international markets.

The Fund’s investments are selected using a strong valuation discipline to purchase what the Investment Adviser believes are well-positioned, cash-generating businesses run by shareholder-oriented management teams.

The Fund may also invest in fixed income securities, such as government, corporate and bank debt obligations.
Risk [Heading] rr_RiskHeading Principal Risks of the Fund
Risk Narrative [Text Block] rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) or any government agency. The Fund should not be relied upon as a complete investment program. There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Investment in the Fund involves substantial risks which prospective investors should consider carefully before investing.

Foreign and Emerging Countries Risk.  Foreign securities may be subject to risk of loss because of more or less foreign government regulation, less public information and less economic, political and social stability in the countries in which the Fund invests. Loss may also result from the imposition of exchange controls, confiscations and other government restrictions, or from problems in share registration, settlement or custody. Foreign risk also involves the risk of negative foreign currency rate fluctuations, which may cause the value of securities denominated in such foreign currency (or other instruments through which the Fund has exposure to foreign currencies) to decline in value. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time. To the extent the Fund also invests in issuers located in emerging countries, these risks may be more pronounced.

Market Risk.  The value of the instruments in which the Fund invests may go up or down in response to the prospects of individual companies, particular sectors or governments and/or general economic conditions throughout the world due to increasingly interconnected global economies and financial markets.

Stock Risk.  Stock prices have historically risen and fallen in periodic cycles. U.S. and foreign stock markets have experienced periods of substantial price volatility in the past and may do so again in the future.
Risk Lose Money [Text] rr_RiskLoseMoney Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund.
Risk Not Insured Depository Institution [Text] rr_RiskNotInsuredDepositoryInstitution An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) or any government agency.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading] rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading Performance
Performance Narrative [Text Block] rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock The bar chart and table below provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing: (a) changes in the performance of the Fund’s Service Shares from year to year; and (b) how the average annual total returns of the Fund’s Service Shares compare to those of a broad-based securities market index. The Fund’s past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Performance reflects applicable fee waivers and/or expense limitations in effect during the periods shown. In addition, performance reflects Fund level expenses but does not reflect the fees and expenses associated with any variable annuity contract or variable life insurance policy that uses the Fund as an investment option for any contract or policy. Had performance reflected all of those fees and expenses, performance would have been reduced. Updated performance information is available at no cost at www.goldmansachsfunds.com/vit or by calling the phone number at the back cover of this prospectus.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text] rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns The bar chart and table below provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing: (a) changes in the performance of the Fund’s Service Shares from year to year; and (b) how the average annual total returns of the Fund’s Service Shares compare to those of a broad-based securities market index.
Performance Availability Website Address [Text] rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress www.goldmansachsfunds.com/vit
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text] rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture The Fund’s past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading] rr_BarChartHeading TOTAL RETURN CALENDAR YEAR
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block] rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock
Best Quarter
Q2 ‘09       +20.53%

Worst Quarter
Q3 ‘08       –21.91%		   
  
Performance Table Heading rr_PerformanceTableHeading AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN

For the period ended December 31, 2012
Service | Goldman Sachs Strategic International Equity Fund | Service Shares
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Management Fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.85%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets 0.25%
Other Expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.18%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets 0.02%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 1.30% [1]
Fee Waiver and Expense Limitation rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets (0.06%) [2]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 1.24% [1],[3]
1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 127
3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 407
5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 708
10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 1,565
2007 rr_AnnualReturn2007 7.86%
2008 rr_AnnualReturn2008 (46.00%)
2009 rr_AnnualReturn2009 28.37%
2010 rr_AnnualReturn2010 10.09%
2011 rr_AnnualReturn2011 (15.16%)
2012 rr_AnnualReturn2012 20.82%
Highest Quarterly Return, Label rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel Best Quarter
Highest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate Jun. 30, 2009
Highest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn 20.53%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel Worst Quarter
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate Sep. 30, 2008
Lowest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn (21.91%)
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 20.82%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 (4.81%)
Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception (0.36%)
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Jan. 09, 2006
Service | Goldman Sachs Strategic International Equity Fund | MSCI® EAFE® (net) Index (unhedged) (reflects no deduction for fees or expenses)
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 17.27%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 (3.68%)
Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 1.49%
[1] The Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses do not correlate to the ratios of net and total expenses to average net assets provided in the Financial Highlights, which reflect the operating expenses of the Fund and do not include Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses.
[2] The Investment Adviser has agreed to (i) waive a portion of the management fee in order to achieve an effective net management fee rate of 0.81% of the Fund's average daily net assets, and (ii) reduce or limit "Other Expenses" (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses, transfer agency fees and expenses, taxes, interest, brokerage fees, litigation, indemnification, shareholder meeting and other extraordinary expenses) to 0.144% of the Fund's average daily net assets. These arrangements will remain in effect through at least April 30, 2014, and prior to such date the Investment Adviser may not terminate the arrangements without the approval of the Board of Trustees. The Fund's "Other Expenses" may be further reduced by any custody and transfer agency fee credits received by the Fund.
[3] Fee Waiver and Expense Limitation