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Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Registrant Name dei_EntityRegistrantName GOLDMAN SACHS VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST
Prospectus Date rr_ProspectusDate Apr. 30, 2014
Goldman Sachs Equity Index Fund
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk/Return [Heading] rr_RiskReturnHeading Goldman Sachs Equity Index Fund—Summary
Objective [Heading] rr_ObjectiveHeading Investment Objective
Objective, Primary [Text Block] rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock The Goldman Sachs Equity Index Fund (the “Fund”) seeks to achieve investment results that correspond to the aggregate price and yield performance of a benchmark index that measures the investment returns of large capitalization stocks.
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, 2015
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, 2013 was 3% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate 3.00%
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 attempts to replicate the aggregate price and yield performance of a benchmark index that measures the investment returns of large capitalization stocks. The Fund’s benchmark is the S&P 500® Index. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will hold equity securities of approximately 500 different companies included in the S&P 500® Index and will invest at least 80% of its net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes (measured at time of purchase) (“Net Assets”) in equity type securities. To the extent that the Fund’s ability to invest in any of the companies included in the S&P 500® Index is limited by applicable regulatory requirements, the Fund may invest in fewer than 500 companies, and may not be able to precisely replicate the performance of the S&P 500® Index. Additionally, in an attempt to replicate the performance of companies in which it may be unable to invest, the Fund may overweight certain holdings (relative to the S&P 500® Index) that have similar characteristics.

The Fund’s passive equity process objective is to seek to remain fully invested in the equity market. To accomplish this, the Fund may hold a portion of its assets in unleveraged exchange-traded index futures contracts to equitize cash and cash equivalents in an attempt to maintain full exposure.
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.

Index Risk.  Unlike many investment companies, the Fund is not actively managed. As a result, the Fund will not typically dispose of a security unless the security is removed from the relevant index, even if the issuer is in financial trouble.

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.

Tracking Risk.  The Fund’s performance may vary substantially from the performance of the benchmark index it tracks as a result of share purchases and redemptions (which may prevent the Fund from being fully invested), transaction costs, Fund expenses and other factors. In addition, to the extent that the Fund’s ability to invest in any of the companies included in the benchmark index is limited by applicable regulatory requirements, the Fund will not be able to fully implement its replication strategy, which will affect the Fund’s relative performance.
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.gsamfunds.com/vit or by calling the phone number on 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.gsamfunds.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            +15.93%

Worst Quarter
Q4 ‘08            –22.04%
Performance Table Heading rr_PerformanceTableHeading AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN

For the period ended December 31, 2013
Goldman Sachs Equity Index Fund | Service Shares
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Management Fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.30%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets 0.25%
Other Expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.19%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 0.74%
Fee Waiver and Expense Limitation rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets (0.25%) [1]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 0.49% [2]
1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 $ 50
3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 211
5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 387
10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 $ 895
2007 rr_AnnualReturn2007 5.32%
2008 rr_AnnualReturn2008 (37.18%)
2009 rr_AnnualReturn2009 26.28%
2010 rr_AnnualReturn2010 14.92%
2011 rr_AnnualReturn2011 1.75%
2012 rr_AnnualReturn2012 15.50%
2013 rr_AnnualReturn2013 31.83%
Highest Quarterly Return, Label rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel Best Quarter
Highest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate Jun. 30, 2009
Highest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn 15.93%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel Worst Quarter
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate Dec. 31, 2008
Lowest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn (22.04%)
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 31.83%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 17.59%
Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 6.61%
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Jan. 09, 2006
Goldman Sachs Equity Index Fund | S&P 500® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 32.39%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 17.93%
Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 6.91%
[1] The Investment Adviser has agreed to (i) waive a portion of the management fee equal to 0.09% of the annual contractual rate applicable to the Fund's average daily net assets between $0 and $400 million, and equal to 0.10% of the annual contractual rate applicable to the Fund's average daily net assets exceeding $400 million, and (ii) reduce or limit "Other Expenses" (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses, transfer agency fees and expenses, taxes, interest, brokerage fees, shareholder meeting, litigation, indemnification and extraordinary expenses) to 0.004% of the Fund's average daily net assets. Each arrangement will remain in effect through at least April 30, 2015, and prior to such date the Investment Adviser may not terminate the arrangements without the approval of the Board of Trustees.
[2] After Fee Waiver and Expense Limitation