INVESTMENTS (Details 4) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Mortgage Loans held-for-investment, net [Abstract]
Commercial	$ 339,855,000	$ 349,969,000
Commercial, Percent	100.00%	100.00%
Valuation allowances	$ 0	$ 0
Valuation allowance, Percent	0.00%	0.00%
Total Mortgage Loans held-for-investment	$ 339,855,000	$ 349,969,000
Total Mortgage Loans held-for investment, Percent	100.00%	100.00%
Debt Service Coverage Ratio	1.1
Loan-to-Value Ratio, Percent (less than)	70.00%
Credit losses on commercial mortgage loans	$ 0

Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses, Real Estate, Percent

No definition available.

Name:	axs_AllowanceforLoanandLeaseLossesRealEstatePercent
Namespace Prefix:	axs_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Debt Service Coverage Ratio

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	axs_DebtServiceCoverageRatio
Namespace Prefix:	axs_
Data Type:	xbrli:pureItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Loans Held For Investment, Commercial, Percent

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	axs_LoansHeldForInvestmentCommercialPercent
Namespace Prefix:	axs_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Loan-to-Value Ratio, Percent

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	axs_LoantoValueRatioPercent
Namespace Prefix:	axs_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Total Mortgage Loans held-for-investment, Percent

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	axs_TotalMortgageLoansheldforinvestmentPercent
Namespace Prefix:	axs_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The reserve to cover probable credit losses related to specifically identified fixed maturity real estate loans as well as probable credit losses inherent in the remainder of that loan portfolio.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 310
-Section 45
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6873192&loc=d3e21338-158488

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesRealEstate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of loans and leases that have been written off from both loan receivables and allowance reserve for credit loss.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 11B
-Subparagraph (c)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66008989&loc=SL6953423-111524

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.7(d))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesWriteOffs
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount before allowance of commercial loans issued to businesses to acquire, develop, construct, improve, or refinance land or building. Includes deferred interest and fees, undisbursed portion of loan balance, unamortized costs and premiums and discounts from face amounts. Excludes loans covered under loss sharing agreements.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.7(a))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.1(c))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66008989&loc=d3e5066-111524

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LoansReceivableCommercialRealEstate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The balance represents the amount of loans that are secured by real estate mortgages, offset by the reserve to cover probable credit losses on the loan portfolio.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.1(c))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateCommercialAndConsumerNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NotesAndLoansReceivableNetCurrentAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration