Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019 USD ($) Segment	Mar. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Jan. 01, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Accumulated deficit	$ (141,831,000)			$ (129,719,000)
Cash flow from operations	(10,859,000)	$ (9,671,000)
Cash and cash equivalents	25,671,000			24,301,000
Short-term investments	$ 79,508,000			86,529,000
Cash and cash equivalents with original maturities	three months or less
Carrying value of goodwill	$ 100,000
Carrying value of IPR&D	$ 200,000
Number of operating segments | Segment	1
Operating lease, liability	$ 1,214,000
Present value of remaining lease payments	1,321,000
Operating lease, right-of -use asset	$ 1,200,000
Discounted using incremental borrowing rate	8.50%
Research and development expense	$ 1,400,000
Date of agreement	Oct. 08, 2018
Contingent milestones or co-development commitments met or incurred	$ 0
Contingent milestones or co-development commitments met or remunerated	0
Contingent Milestones Or Co Development Commitments Accrued	0
Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Minimum royalty payment	0
Amount of signing fee or milestones included in royalty payments	$ 0
Agreement description	Under an agreement, as amended, with the active pharmaceutical ingredients (“API”) manufacturer, no signing fee or milestones are included in the royalty payments, and there is no minimum royalty.
Royalty percent on net sale	3.00%
aPAP [Member] | Japan [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percentage of other contingent milestone payments associated with specific research, regulatory and filing activities	50.00%
Other contingent milestone payments associated with specific research, regulatory and filing activities	$ 750,000
License agreement development and commercialization cost	0
aPAP [Member] | Japan [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Other contingent milestone payments associated with specific research, regulatory and filing activities	$ 800,000
NTM [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Royalty percent on net sale after publication of the intellectual property	0.50%
Royalty percent on net sale prior publication of the intellectual property	0.25%
Nebulizer | Maximum [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Royalty percent on net sale	5.00%
Nebulizer | Minimum [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Royalty percent on net sale	3.50%
ASC 842
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Operating lease, liability			$ 1,400,000
Present value of remaining lease payments			1,500,000
Operating lease, right-of -use asset			$ 1,400,000
Discounted using incremental borrowing rate			8.50%
Savara ApS [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Research and development tax credits	22.00%
Research and development tax credits receivable	$ 1,600,000
Savara ApS [Member] | Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Research and development tax credits receivable				800,000
Savara ApS [Member] | Other Non-Current Assets [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Research and development tax credits receivable	$ 800,000
Savara Australia Pty Limited [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Research and development tax credits	43.50%
Research and development tax credits receivable	$ 600,000
Savara Australia Pty Limited [Member] | Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Research and development tax credits receivable				$ 500,000
Savara Australia Pty Limited [Member] | Other Non-Current Assets [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Research and development tax credits receivable	$ 100,000