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Label Element Value
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Document Type dei_DocumentType Other
Document Period End Date dei_DocumentPeriodEndDate Dec. 31, 2010
Registrant Name dei_EntityRegistrantName Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II
Central Index Key dei_EntityCentralIndexKey 0001413032
Amendment Flag dei_AmendmentFlag false
Document Creation Date dei_DocumentCreationDate Sep. 30, 2011
Document Effective Date dei_DocumentEffectiveDate Sep. 30, 2011
Prospectus Date rr_ProspectusDate Apr. 29, 2011
Supplement [Text Block] cfvst1413032_SupplementTextBlock
Prospectus Supplement — September 30, 2011
to the Prospectus listed below, as supplemented
 FundProspectuses Dated
 Columbia Variable Portfolio — Emerging Markets Opportunity Fund04/29/2011
Effective September 30, 2011, the Fund compares its performance to the net dividends (Net) version of the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Emerging Markets Index rather than to the gross dividends (Gross) version currently reflected in the Fund’s prospectus. Accordingly, the average annual total returns table in the “Past Performance” section of the Fund’s prospectus is hereby replaced with the following and should be retained with the current prospectus for the Fund for future reference.
Columbia VP - Emerging Markets Opportunity Fund
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Supplement [Text Block] cfvst1413032_SupplementTextBlock The average annual total returns table in the “Past Performance” section of the prospectus is hereby replaced with the following:
Average Annual Total Returns rr_AverageAnnualReturnAbstract  
Caption rr_AverageAnnualReturnCaption Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2010)
Performance Table Market Index Changed rr_PerformanceTableMarketIndexChanged On September 30, 2011, the MSCI Emerging Markets Index (Net) replaced the MSCI Emerging Markets Index (Gross) as the Fund's primary benchmark.
Columbia VP - Emerging Markets Opportunity Fund | Class 3
  
Average Annual Total Returns rr_AverageAnnualReturnAbstract  
Column rr_AverageAnnualReturnColumnName Columbia VP — Emerging Markets Opportunity Fund:
Label rr_AverageAnnualReturnLabel Class 3
1 year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 19.76%
5 years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 12.28%
10 years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 14.52%
Columbia VP - Emerging Markets Opportunity Fund | Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Emerging Markets Index (Net)
  
Average Annual Total Returns rr_AverageAnnualReturnAbstract  
Label rr_AverageAnnualReturnLabel Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Emerging Markets Index (Net) [1]
Index No Deduction for Fees, Expenses, Taxes [Text] rr_IndexNoDeductionForFeesExpensesTaxes (reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes but reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or other taxes)
1 year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 18.88%
5 years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 12.78%
10 years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 15.89%
Columbia VP - Emerging Markets Opportunity Fund | MSCI Emerging Markets Index (Gross)
  
Average Annual Total Returns rr_AverageAnnualReturnAbstract  
Label rr_AverageAnnualReturnLabel MSCI Emerging Markets Index (Gross) [1]
Index No Deduction for Fees, Expenses, Taxes [Text] rr_IndexNoDeductionForFeesExpensesTaxes (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
1 year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 19.20%
5 years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 13.11%
10 years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 16.23%
Columbia VP - Emerging Markets Opportunity Fund | Lipper Emerging Markets Funds Index
  
Average Annual Total Returns rr_AverageAnnualReturnAbstract  
Label rr_AverageAnnualReturnLabel Lipper Emerging Markets Funds Index
Index No Deduction for Fees, Expenses, Taxes [Text] rr_IndexNoDeductionForFeesExpensesTaxes (reflects no deduction for taxes)
1 year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 20.14%
5 years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 11.25%
10 years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 15.17%
[1] On September 30, 2011, the MSCI Emerging Markets Index (Net) replaced the MSCI Emerging Markets Index (Gross) as the Fund's primary benchmark. The Fund's investment manager made this recommendation to the Fund's Board because the investment manager believes that the Net version better reflects how dividends paid to the Fund on foreign securities generally are treated for tax purposes and, therefore, provides a more appropriate basis for comparing the Fund's performance. Information on both versions of the index will be included for a one-year transition period. Thereafter, only the Net version will be included.