Earnings per share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Basic earnings per share
Net income available to Validus common shareholders	$ 7,767	$ 89,844	$ 94,963	$ 166,810	$ 69,042	$ 66,650	$ 65,790	$ 173,411	$ 359,384	$ 374,893	$ 479,963
Less: Dividends declared on outstanding warrants									0	(3,566)	(6,208)
Net income allocated to Validus common shareholders									$ 359,384	$ 371,327	$ 473,755
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding									81,041,974	83,107,236	90,354,745
Basic earnings per share available to common shareholders	$ 0.10	$ 1.12	$ 1.16	$ 2.01	$ 0.84	$ 0.79	$ 0.77	$ 2.07	$ 4.43	$ 4.47	$ 5.24
Diluted earnings per share
Less: Dividends and distributions declared on outstanding warrants									$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Income (loss) available (attributable) to common shareholders									$ 359,384	$ 374,893	$ 479,963
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding									81,041,974	83,107,236	90,354,745
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding, diluted									82,359,460	86,426,760	94,690,271
Earnings per diluted share available to common shareholders	$ 0.10	$ 1.11	$ 1.14	$ 1.98	$ 0.81	$ 0.78	$ 0.75	$ 1.98	$ 4.36	$ 4.34	$ 5.07
Earnings per share (Textuals) [Abstract]
Anti-dilutive securities excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings per share									133,810	167,417	199,740
Warrants [Member]
Diluted earnings per share
Weighted average number diluted shares outstanding adjustment									0	2,090,248	2,789,032
Options [Member]
Diluted earnings per share
Weighted average number diluted shares outstanding adjustment									28,196	151,867	745,561
Unvested restricted shares [Member]
Diluted earnings per share
Weighted average number diluted shares outstanding adjustment									1,289,290	1,077,409	800,933