Label

Element

Value

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Registrant Name

dei_EntityRegistrantName

GOLDMAN SACHS VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST

Prospectus Date

rr_ProspectusDate

Apr. 30, 2015

Supplement [Text Block]

gsvit_SupplementTextBlock

GOLDMAN SACHS VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST

Institutional and Service Shares of the

Goldman Sachs Strategic International Equity Fund (the “Fund”)

Supplement dated May 21, 2015 to the

Institutional and Service Shares Prospectuses dated April 30, 2015

(the “Prospectuses”)

Effective immediately, the Fund’s Prospectuses are revised as follows:

The following replaces in its entirety the “Annual Fund Operating Expenses Table” (and its related footnotes) under “Goldman Sachs Strategic International Equity Fund—Summary—Fees and Expenses of the Fund” in the Institutional Shares Prospectus:

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment):
Management Fees	0.85%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees	None
Other Expenses	0.17%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses	0.04%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses1,2	1.06%
Fee Waiver and Expense Limitation3	(0.11)%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and Expense Limitation1,2	0.95%

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 “Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses” of the Fund have been restated to reflect current fees.

³  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, shareholder meeting, litigation, indemnification and extraordinary expenses) to 0.084% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. These arrangements will remain in effect through at least April 30, 2016, and prior to such date the Investment Adviser may not terminate the arrangements without the approval of the Board of Trustees.

The following replaces in its entirety the table under “Goldman Sachs Strategic International Equity Fund—Summary—Expense Example” in the Institutional Shares Prospectus:

	1 Year		3 Years		5 Years		10 Years
Institutional Shares	$	97	$	325	$	572	$	1,280

The following replaces in its entirety the “Annual Fund Operating Expenses Table” (and its related footnotes) under “Goldman Sachs Strategic International Equity

Fund—Summary—Fees and Expenses of the Fund” in the Service Shares Prospectus:

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment):
Management Fees	0.85%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees	0.25%
Other Expenses	0.17%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses	0.04%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses1,2	1.31%
Fee Waiver and Expense Limitation3	(0.11)%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and Expense Limitation1,2	1.20%

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 “Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses” of the Fund have been restated to reflect current fees.

³  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, shareholder meeting, litigation, indemnification and extraordinary expenses) to 0.084% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. These arrangements will remain in effect through at least April 30, 2016, and prior to such date the Investment Adviser may not terminate the arrangements without the approval of the Board of Trustees.

The following replaces in its entirety the table under “Goldman Sachs Strategic International Equity Fund—Summary—Expense Example” in the Service Shares Prospectus:

	1 Year		3 Years		5 Years		10 Years
Service Shares	$	122	$	403	$	706	$	1,566

Institutional | Goldman Sachs Strategic International Equity Fund

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Supplement [Text Block]

gsvit_SupplementTextBlock

GOLDMAN SACHS VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST

Institutional and Service Shares of the

Goldman Sachs Strategic International Equity Fund (the “Fund”)

Supplement dated May 21, 2015 to the

Institutional and Service Shares Prospectuses dated April 30, 2015

(the “Prospectuses”)

Effective immediately, the Fund’s Prospectuses are revised as follows:

The following replaces in its entirety the “Annual Fund Operating Expenses Table” (and its related footnotes) under “Goldman Sachs Strategic International Equity Fund—Summary—Fees and Expenses of the Fund” in the Institutional Shares Prospectus:

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment):
Management Fees	0.85%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees	None
Other Expenses	0.17%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses	0.04%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses1,2	1.06%
Fee Waiver and Expense Limitation3	(0.11)%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and Expense Limitation1,2	0.95%

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 “Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses” of the Fund have been restated to reflect current fees.

³  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, shareholder meeting, litigation, indemnification and extraordinary expenses) to 0.084% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. These arrangements will remain in effect through at least April 30, 2016, and prior to such date the Investment Adviser may not terminate the arrangements without the approval of the Board of Trustees.

The following replaces in its entirety the table under “Goldman Sachs Strategic International Equity Fund—Summary—Expense Example” in the Institutional Shares Prospectus:

	1 Year		3 Years		5 Years		10 Years
Institutional Shares	$	97	$	325	$	572	$	1,280

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, 2016

Expenses Restated to Reflect Current [Text]

rr_ExpensesRestatedToReflectCurrent

The “Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses” of the Fund have been restated to reflect current fees.

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.

Institutional | Goldman Sachs Strategic International Equity Fund | Institutional Shares

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.85%

Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

none

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.17%

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses

rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets

0.04%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

1.06%

^[1],[2]

Fee Waiver and Expense Limitation

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

(0.11%)

^[3]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and Expense Limitation

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

0.95%

^[1],[2]

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

97

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

325

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

572

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

1,280

Service | Goldman Sachs Strategic International Equity Fund

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Supplement [Text Block]

gsvit_SupplementTextBlock

GOLDMAN SACHS VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST

Institutional and Service Shares of the

Goldman Sachs Strategic International Equity Fund (the “Fund”)

Supplement dated May 21, 2015 to the

Institutional and Service Shares Prospectuses dated April 30, 2015

(the “Prospectuses”)

Effective immediately, the Fund’s Prospectuses are revised as follows:

The following replaces in its entirety the “Annual Fund Operating Expenses Table” (and its related footnotes) under “Goldman Sachs Strategic International Equity

Fund—Summary—Fees and Expenses of the Fund” in the Service Shares Prospectus:

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment):
Management Fees	0.85%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees	0.25%
Other Expenses	0.17%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses	0.04%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses1,2	1.31%
Fee Waiver and Expense Limitation3	(0.11)%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and Expense Limitation1,2	1.20%

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 “Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses” of the Fund have been restated to reflect current fees.

³  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, shareholder meeting, litigation, indemnification and extraordinary expenses) to 0.084% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. These arrangements will remain in effect through at least April 30, 2016, and prior to such date the Investment Adviser may not terminate the arrangements without the approval of the Board of Trustees.

The following replaces in its entirety the table under “Goldman Sachs Strategic International Equity Fund—Summary—Expense Example” in the Service Shares Prospectus:

	1 Year		3 Years		5 Years		10 Years
Service Shares	$	122	$	403	$	706	$	1,566

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, 2016

Expenses Restated to Reflect Current [Text]

rr_ExpensesRestatedToReflectCurrent

The “Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses” of the Fund have been restated to reflect current fees.

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.

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

0.17%

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses

rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets

0.04%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

1.31%

^[1],[2]

Fee Waiver and Expense Limitation

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

(0.11%)

^[3]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and Expense Limitation

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

1.20%

^[1],[2]

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

122

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

403

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

706

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

1,566

[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 “Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses” of the Fund have been restated to reflect current fees.

[3] 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, shareholder meeting, litigation, indemnification and extraordinary expenses) to 0.084% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. These arrangements will remain in effect through at least April 30, 2016, and prior to such date the Investment Adviser may not terminate the arrangements without the approval of the Board of Trustees.