Share-based plans (Details) - Performance Shares		9 Months Ended
Jul. 29, 2019 EUR (€) € / shares	Sep. 30, 2019 item
Share-based plans
Performance period (in years)		3 years
Number of performance targets \| item		3
Minimum
Share-based plans
Annual target achievement level (as a percent)		0.00%
Maximum
Share-based plans
Annual target achievement level (as a percent)		200.00%
Annual target achievement level of 100%
Share-based plans
Annual target achievement level (as a percent)		100.00%
Revenue growth target rate (as a percent)		7.00%
Net income growth target rate (as a percent)		7.00%
ROIC target rate (as a percent)		7.90%
ROIC target rate for each consecutive year (as a percent)		8.10%
Annual target achievement level of 0%
Share-based plans
Annual target achievement level (as a percent)		0.00%
Revenue growth target rate (as a percent)		0.00%
Net income growth target rate (as a percent)		0.00%
Increase (decrease) in ROIC rate		0.2
Annual target achievement level of 200%
Share-based plans
Annual target achievement level (as a percent)		200.00%
Revenue growth target rate (as a percent)		16.00%
Net income growth target rate (as a percent)		14.00%
Increase (decrease) in ROIC rate		0.2
LTIP 2019
Share-based plans
Increase (decrease) in annual target achievement level, if GEP -II target rate is 100%		20
GEP - II target rate (as a percent)		100.00%
Vesting period		3 years
Period considered for calculation of average share price		30 days
Grant Value, Cap (as a percent)		400.00%
Granted (in shares)	793,778
Total fair value of equity instruments	€ 51,827,000
Vesting period (in years)		3 years
Fair value per performance share (per share) \| € / shares	€ 65.29
LTIP 2019 \| Minimum
Share-based plans
GEP - II target rate to calculate overall target achievement by means of linear interpolation (as a percent)		0.00%
LTIP 2019 \| Maximum
Share-based plans
GEP - II target rate to calculate overall target achievement by means of linear interpolation (as a percent)		100.00%
Overall target achievement rate as increased by the GEP -II targets achievement (as a percent)		200.00%
Members of Management Board \| LTIP 2019
Share-based plans
Vesting period		4 years
Granted (in shares)	101,600
Total fair value of equity instruments	€ 6,484,000
Vesting period (in years)		4 years
Fair value per performance share (per share) \| € / shares	€ 63.82

The fair value of equity instruments granted in share based payment arrangement.

No definition available.

Name:	fms_FairValueOfEquityInstrumentsGrantedInShareBasedPaymentArrangement
Namespace Prefix:	fms_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Fair value per share of equity instrument in share based payment.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	fms_FairValuePerEquityInstrumentInShareBasedPaymentArrangement
Namespace Prefix:	fms_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Period over which grantee's right to exercise award under share-based payment arrangement is no longer contingent on satisfaction of service or performance condition, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days. Includes, but is not limited to, combination of market, performance or service condition.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	fms_IfrsShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardAwardVestingPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	fms_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the percentage of annual target achievement under the share-based payment arrangement.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	fms_ShareBasedPaymentArrangementAnnualTargetAchievementLevelPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	fms_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the percentage of overall target achievement rate as increased by the GEP -II targets achievement.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	fms_ShareBasedPaymentArrangementAnnualTargetAchievementRateAsIncreasedByGlobalEfficiencyProgramTwoTargetAchievementsPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	fms_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the targeted GEP -II target rate to achieve the annual performance target under the share-based payment arrangement.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	fms_ShareBasedPaymentArrangementGlobalEfficiencyProgramTwoTargetRate
Namespace Prefix:	fms_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the targeted GEP -II target rate to calculate the overall target achievement by means of linear interpolation under the share-based payment arrangement.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	fms_ShareBasedPaymentArrangementGlobalEfficiencyProgramTwoTargetRateToCalculateOverallTargetAchievementByLinearInterpolation
Namespace Prefix:	fms_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the percentage of cap on grant value under the share-based payment arrangement.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	fms_ShareBasedPaymentArrangementGrantValueCapPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	fms_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the increase (decrease) in annual target achievement percentage under the share-based payment arrangement.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	fms_ShareBasedPaymentArrangementIncreaseDecreaseInAnnualTargetAchievementLevel
Namespace Prefix:	fms_
Data Type:	xbrli:decimalItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the increase (decrease) in return on invested capital rate to achieve the annual performance target under the share-based payment arrangement.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	fms_ShareBasedPaymentArrangementIncreaseDecreaseInReturnOnInvestedCapitalRate
Namespace Prefix:	fms_
Data Type:	xbrli:decimalItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the targeted net income growth rate to achieve the annual performance target under the share-based payment arrangement.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	fms_ShareBasedPaymentArrangementNetIncomeGrowthTargetRate
Namespace Prefix:	fms_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the number of performance targets under the share-based payment arrangement.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	fms_ShareBasedPaymentArrangementNumberOfPerformanceTargets
Namespace Prefix:	fms_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the performance period of the incentive plans under the share-based payment arrangement.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	fms_ShareBasedPaymentArrangementPerformancePeriod
Namespace Prefix:	fms_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the period prior to the lapse of this vesting period, considered for calculation of average share price, under the share based payment arrangement.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	fms_ShareBasedPaymentArrangementPeriodConsideredForCalculationOfAverageSharePrice
Namespace Prefix:	fms_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the targeted return on invested capital rate to achieve the annual performance target under the share-based payment arrangement.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	fms_ShareBasedPaymentArrangementReturnOnInvestedCapitalTargetRate
Namespace Prefix:	fms_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the targeted return on invested capital rate for each consecutive year to achieve the annual performance target under the share-based payment arrangement.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	fms_ShareBasedPaymentArrangementReturnOnInvestedCapitalTargetRateForEachConsecutiveYear
Namespace Prefix:	fms_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the targeted revenue growth rate to achieve the annual performance target under the share-based payment arrangement.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	fms_ShareBasedPaymentArrangementRevenueGrowthTargetRate
Namespace Prefix:	fms_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes of the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_DisclosureOfTermsAndConditionsOfSharebasedPaymentArrangementLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The number of instruments granted in share-based payment arrangement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Name IFRS
-Number 2
-IssueDate 2018-01-01
-Paragraph IG23
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IFRS&num=2&date=2018-03-01&anchor=para_IG23&doctype=Implementation%20Guidance
-URIDate 2018-03-16

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Name IFRS
-Number 2
-IssueDate 2018-01-01
-Paragraph 45
-Subparagraph a
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IFRS&num=2&date=2018-03-01&anchor=para_45_a&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2018-03-16

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_NumberOfInstrumentsGrantedInSharebasedPaymentArrangement
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:decimalItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_TypesOfSharebasedPaymentArrangementsAxis=us-gaap_PerformanceSharesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_RangeAxis=ifrs-full_BottomOfRangeMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_RangeAxis=ifrs-full_TopOfRangeMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	fms_ShareBasedPaymentArrangementAnnualTargetAchievementLevelAxis=fms_AnnualTargetAchievementLevelOneHundredPercentageMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	fms_ShareBasedPaymentArrangementAnnualTargetAchievementLevelAxis=fms_AnnualTargetAchievementLevelZeroPercentageMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	fms_ShareBasedPaymentArrangementAnnualTargetAchievementLevelAxis=fms_AnnualTargetAchievementLevelTwoHundredPercentageMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PlanNameAxis=fms_LongTermIncentivePlan2019Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_TitleOfIndividualAxis=fms_MembersOfManagementBoardMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: