The amount of borrowings offset under cash management system.

No definition available.

Name:	fms_AmountOfBorrowingsOffsetUnderCashManagementSystem
Namespace Prefix:	fms_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Maximum borrowing capacity under the commercial paper program without consideration of any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed or the amounts currently outstanding under the program.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	fms_CommercialPaperProgramMaximumBorrowingCapacity
Namespace Prefix:	fms_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of short term borrowings and short term borrowings from related party transactions.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	fms_ShortTermBorrowingAndShortTermBorrowingsFromRelatedParty
Namespace Prefix:	fms_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of short term borrowings capacity under related party transactions.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	fms_ShortTermBorrowingsCapacityRelatedPartyTransactions
Namespace Prefix:	fms_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of current borrowings from related parties.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	fms_ShortTermBorrowingsRelatedParties
Namespace Prefix:	fms_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

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

- Definition

The nominal or face amount of a financial instrument, used to calculate payments made on that instrument.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Name IAS
-Number 1
-IssueDate 2019-01-01
-Paragraph 112
-Subparagraph c
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=1&code=ifrs-tx-2019-en-r&anchor=para_112_c&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2019-03-27

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_NotionalAmount
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of current borrowings. [Refer: Borrowings]

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Name IAS
-Number 1
-IssueDate 2019-01-01
-Paragraph 55
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=1&code=ifrs-tx-2019-en-r&anchor=para_55&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2019-03-27

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_ShorttermBorrowings
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_BorrowingsByNameAxis=fms_CommercialPaperProgramMemberMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_BorrowingsByNameAxis=fms_BorrowingsUnderLinesOfCreditMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_BorrowingsByNameAxis=fms_OtherShortTermDebtMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_BorrowingsByNameAxis=fms_OtherDebtRelatingToFixedPaymentsForAcquisitionsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_BorrowingsByNameAxis=fms_RelatedPartyShortTermLoanAgreementMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Short-term debt and short-term debt from related parties (Details) € in Thousands, $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2020 EUR (€)	Dec. 31, 2019 EUR (€)	Jul. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Jul. 31, 2019 EUR (€)
Debt
Short-term debt	€ 307,011	€ 1,149,988
Short-term debt from related parties	85,900	21,865
Short-term debt and short-term debt from related parties	392,911	1,171,853
Commercial paper program
Debt
Short-term debt	260,961	999,732
Commercial paper borrowing limit	1,000,000
Notional amount	261,000	1,000,000
Borrowings under lines of credit
Debt
Short-term debt	46,010	143,875
Borrowings offset under cash management system	1,195,698	152,598
Other
Debt
Short-term debt	40	6,381
Other debt relating to fixed payments for acquisitions
Debt
Short-term debt	€ 40	€ 6,381
Related party loan agreement
Debt
Short term borrowing capacity from related party			$ 400,000	€ 600,000