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VA Equity Allocation Portfolio  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk/Return [Heading] rr_RiskReturnHeading VA Equity Allocation Portfolio
Objective [Heading] rr_ObjectiveHeading Investment Objective
Objective, Primary [Text Block] rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock
The investment objective of the VA Equity Allocation Portfolio (the “Portfolio”) is to achieve long-term capital appreciation.
Expense [Heading] rr_ExpenseHeading Fees and Expenses of the Portfolio
Expense Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock
This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold or sell shares of the VA Equity Allocation Portfolio. The expenses in the table do not include any fees or charges imposed by the variable insurance contract. If such fees and charges were included, the expenses would be higher.
Operating Expenses Caption [Text] rr_OperatingExpensesCaption Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)*
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination February 28, 2023
Portfolio Turnover [Heading] rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading PORTFOLIO TURNOVER
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block] rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock
A mutual fund generally pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs. The VA Equity Allocation Portfolio does not pay transaction costs when buying and selling shares of other mutual funds (the “Underlying Funds”); however, the Underlying Funds pay transaction costs when buying and selling securities for their portfolio. The transaction costs incurred by the Underlying Funds, which are not reflected in Annual Fund
  
Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Portfolio’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolio’s portfolio turnover rate was 9% based on the weighted average portfolio turnover rates of each of the Portfolio’s underlying investments. 
Portfolio Turnover, Rate rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate 9.00%
Expenses Restated to Reflect Current [Text] rr_ExpensesRestatedToReflectCurrent The “Management Fee” and “Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses” have been adjusted to reflect the decrease in the management fee payable by the Portfolio from 0.30% to 0.27% effective as of February 28, 2021.The “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses” and “Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses” have been restated to reflect current fees.
Expense Example [Heading] rr_ExpenseExampleHeading EXAMPLE
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock
This Example is meant to help you compare the cost of investing in the VA Equity Allocation Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example does not included any fees or charges imposed by the variable insurance contract and it such fees were included, expenses would be higher. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses remain the same. The costs for the Portfolio reflect the net expenses of the Portfolio that result from the contractual expense waiver in the first year only. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
 
Strategy [Heading] rr_StrategyHeading Principal Investment Strategies
Strategy Narrative [Text Block] rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock
The VA Equity Allocation Portfolio is a “fund of funds,” which means the Portfolio generally allocates its assets among other funds managed by the Advisor (the “Underlying Funds”), although it has the ability to invest directly in securities and derivatives. The Portfolio seeks to provide investors with exposure to a diversified portfolio of global equity securities. To achieve the Portfolio’s and the Underlying Funds’ investment objectives, the Advisor implements an integrated investment approach that combines research, portfolio design, portfolio management, and trading functions. As further described below, the Portfolio’s and the Underlying Funds’ designs emphasize long-term drivers of expected returns identified by the Advisor’s research, while balancing risk through broad diversification across companies and sectors. The Advisor’s portfolio management and trading processes further balance those long-term drivers of expected returns with shorter-term drivers of expected returns and trading costs.
The Portfolio seeks to provide investors with exposure to a diversified portfolio of global equity securities. The Portfolio is designed to invest substantially all of its assets in the following Underlying Funds: VA U.S. Large Value Portfolio, VA U.S. Targeted Value Portfolio, U.S. Core Equity 1 Portfolio, VA International Value Portfolio, VA International Small Portfolio, International Core Equity Portfolio, Emerging Markets Core Equity Portfolio, DFA International Real Estate Securities Portfolio, DFA Real Estate Securities Portfolio (each a series of DFA Investment Dimensions Group Inc.) and U.S. Large Company Portfolio (a series of Dimensional Investment Group Inc.). 
Generally, the VA Equity Allocation Portfolio invests its assets in the Underlying Funds to gain exposure to equity securities with an allocation of approximately 55% to 75% of the Portfolio’s assets in U.S. equity securities, 0-15% in real estate securities, 10-35% in international developed markets equity securities, and 0-20% in emerging markets equity securities. Periodically, the Advisor will review the allocations for the Portfolio in each Underlying Fund and may adjust allocations to the Underlying Funds or may add or remove Underlying Funds in the Portfolio without notice to shareholders. 
As a non‑fundamental policy, under normal circumstances, the VA Equity Allocation Portfolio, through its investments in the Underlying Funds, will invest at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities. Certain Underlying Funds may invest with an emphasis on securities of smaller, lower relative price, and higher profitability companies. The Portfolio may have exposure to companies in all market capitalization ranges. The Portfolio and each Underlying Fund may invest in affiliated and unaffiliated registered and unregistered money market funds to manage its cash pending investment in other securities or to maintain liquidity for the payment of redemptions or other purposes. Investments in money market funds may involve a duplication of certain fees and expenses. 
The Advisor may also increase or reduce the VA Equity Allocation Portfolio’s and/or Underlying Funds’ exposure to an eligible company, or exclude a company, based on shorter-term considerations, such as a company’s price momentum and investment characteristics. In assessing a company’s investment characteristics, the Advisor considers ratios such as recent changes in assets divided by total assets. The criteria the Advisor uses for assessing a company’s investment characteristics are subject to change from time to time. In addition, the Advisor seeks to reduce trading costs using a flexible trading approach that looks for opportunities to participate in the available market liquidity, while managing turnover and explicit transaction costs. 
The VA Equity Allocation Portfolio and each Underlying Fund may gain exposure to companies associated with approved markets by purchasing equity securities in the form of depositary receipts, which may be listed or traded outside the issuer’s domicile country. The Portfolio and each Underlying Fund may use derivatives, such as futures contracts and options on futures contracts for equity securities and indices of its approved markets or other equity market securities or indices, including those of the United States, to increase or decrease equity market exposure based on actual or expected cash inflows to or outflows from the Portfolio or Underlying Fund. Certain Underlying Funds may enter into foreign currency exchange transactions, including foreign currency forward contracts, in connection with the settlement of foreign securities or to transfer balances from one currency to another. 
The VA Equity Allocation Portfolio and Underlying Funds may lend their portfolio securities to generate additional income. 
Certain of the Underlying Funds are available for investment only by insurance company separate accounts that fund variable life and variable annuity contracts. 
A summary of the investment strategies and policies of the Underlying Funds in which the VA Equity Allocation Portfolio invests as of the date of this Prospectus is described in the Portfolio’s Prospectus in the section entitled “ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES—Investments in Underlying Funds.” 
Risk [Heading] rr_RiskHeading Principal Risks
Risk Narrative [Text Block] rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock
Because the value of your investment in the VA Equity Allocation Portfolio will fluctuate, there is the risk that you will lose money. An investment in the Portfolio is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The following is a description of principal risks of investing in the Portfolio.
Fund of Funds Risk: The investment performance of the Portfolio is affected by the investment performance of the Underlying Funds in which the Portfolio invests. The ability of the Portfolio to achieve its investment objective depends on the ability of the Underlying Funds to meet their investment objectives and on the Advisor’s decisions regarding the allocation of the Portfolio’s assets among the Underlying Funds. There can be no assurance that the investment objective of the Portfolio or any Underlying Fund will be achieved. When the Portfolio invests in Underlying Funds, investors are exposed to a proportionate share of the expenses of those Underlying Funds in addition to the expenses of the Portfolio. Through its investments in the Underlying Funds, the Portfolio is subject to the risks of the Underlying Funds’ investments. The risks of the Portfolio’s and Underlying Funds’ investments are described below.
Equity Market Risk: Even a long-term investment approach cannot guarantee a profit. Economic, market, political, and issuer-specific conditions and events will cause the value of equity securities, and the Portfolio or Underlying Fund that owns them, to rise or fall. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices.
Foreign Securities and Currencies Risk: Foreign securities prices may decline or fluctuate because of: (a) economic or political actions of foreign governments, and/or (b) less regulated or liquid securities markets. Investors holding these securities may also be exposed to foreign currency risk (the possibility that foreign currency will fluctuate in value against the U.S. dollar or that a foreign government will convert, or be forced to convert, its currency to another currency, changing its value against the U.S. dollar). The Underlying Funds do not hedge foreign currency risk.
Depositary receipts are generally subject to the same risks as the foreign securities that they evidence or into which they may be converted. In addition, the underlying issuers of certain depositary receipts, particularly unsponsored or unregistered depositary receipts, are under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications to the holders of such receipts, or to pass through to them any voting rights with respect to the deposited securities. Depositary receipts that are not sponsored by the issuer may be less liquid and there may be less readily available public information about the issuer.
Emerging Markets Risk: Numerous emerging market countries have a history of, and continue to experience serious, and potentially continuing, economic and political problems. Stock markets in many emerging market countries are relatively small, expensive to trade in and generally have higher risks than those in developed markets. Securities in emerging markets also may be less liquid than those in developed markets and foreigners are often limited in their ability to invest in, and withdraw assets from, these markets. Additional restrictions may be imposed under other conditions. Frontier market countries generally have smaller economies or less developed capital markets and, as a result, the risks of investing in emerging market countries are magnified in frontier market countries.
  
Small and Mid-Cap Company Risk: Securities of small and mid-cap companies are often less liquid than those of large companies and this could make it difficult to sell a small or mid-cap company security at a desired time or price. As a result, small and mid-cap company stocks may fluctuate relatively more in price. In general, small and mid-capitalization companies are also more vulnerable than larger companies to adverse business or economic developments and they may have more limited resources. 
Profitability Investment Risk: High relative profitability stocks may perform differently from the market as a whole and an investment strategy purchasing these securities may cause the Portfolio or an Underlying Fund to at times underperform equity funds that use other investment strategies. 
Value Investment Risk: Value stocks may perform differently from the market as a whole and an investment strategy purchasing these securities may cause the Portfolio or an Underlying Fund to at times underperform equity funds that use other investment strategies. Value stocks can react differently to political, economic, and industry developments than the market as a whole and other types of stocks. Value stocks also may underperform the market for long periods of time. 
Derivatives Risk: Derivatives are instruments, such as futures, and options thereon, and foreign currency forward contracts, whose value is derived from that of other assets, rates or indices. The use of derivatives for non‑hedging purposes may be considered to carry more risk than other types of investments. When the Portfolio or an Underlying Fund uses derivatives, the Portfolio or Underlying Fund will be directly exposed to the risks of those derivatives. Derivative instruments are subject to a number of risks including counterparty, settlement, liquidity, interest rate, market, credit and management risks, as well as the risk of improper valuation. Changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index, and the Portfolio or Underlying Fund could lose more than the principal amount invested. 
Securities Lending Risk: Securities lending involves the risk that the borrower may fail to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. As a result, the Portfolio or an Underlying Fund may lose money and there may be a delay in recovering the loaned securities. The Portfolio or Underlying Fund could also lose money if it does not recover the securities and/or the value of the collateral falls, including the value of investments made with cash collateral. Securities lending also may have certain adverse tax consequences. 
Operational Risk: Operational risks include human error, changes in personnel, system changes, faults in communication, and failures in systems, technology, or processes. Various operational events or circumstances are outside the Advisor’s control, including instances at third parties. The Portfolio, Underlying Funds, and the Advisor seek to reduce these operational risks through controls and procedures. However, these measures do not address every possible risk and may be inadequate to address these risks. 
Cyber Security Risk: The Portfolio’s, Underlying Funds’, and their service providers’ use of internet, technology and information systems may expose the Portfolio and Underlying Funds to potential risks linked to cyber security breaches of those technological or information systems. Cyber security breaches, amongst other things, could allow an unauthorized party to gain access to proprietary information, customer data, or fund assets, or cause the Portfolio, Underlying Funds, and/or their service providers to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. 
Risk Lose Money [Text] rr_RiskLoseMoney Because the value of your investment in the VA Equity Allocation Portfolio will fluctuate, there is the risk that you will lose money.
Risk Not Insured Depository Institution [Text] rr_RiskNotInsuredDepositoryInstitution An investment in the Portfolio is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading] rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading Performance
Performance Narrative [Text Block] rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock
The bar chart and table immediately following illustrate the variability of the VA Equity Allocation Portfolio’s returns and are meant to provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio. The bar chart shows the changes in the Portfolio’s performance from year to year. The table illustrates how annualized one year and since inception returns, both before and after taxes, compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Portfolio’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future results. Updated performance information for the Portfolio can be obtained by visiting http://us.dimensional.com.
The after-tax returns presented in the table for the VA Equity Allocation Portfolio are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown in the table. In addition, the after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold shares of the Portfolio through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text] rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns The bar chart and table immediately following illustrate the variability of the VA Equity Allocation Portfolio’s returns and are meant to provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio. The bar chart shows the changes in the Portfolio’s performance from year to year.
Performance Availability Website Address [Text] rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress http://us.dimensional.com
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text] rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture The Portfolio’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future results.
Bar Chart [Heading] rr_BarChartHeading VA Equity Allocation Portfolio—Total Returns 
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block] rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock
January 2018-December 2021
Highest Quarter
   
Lowest Quarter
20.70% (4/20–6/20)
   
-26.56% (1/20–3/20)
Performance Table Heading rr_PerformanceTableHeading Annualized Returns (%) Periods ending December 31, 2021
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate The after-tax returns presented in the table for the VA Equity Allocation Portfolio are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred In addition, the after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold shares of the Portfolio through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
VA Equity Allocation Portfolio | Institutional Class  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Management Fee rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.27% [1]
Other Expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.01% [1]
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets 0.22% [1],[2]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 0.50% [1],[2]
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets 0.20% [1],[3]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 0.30% [1]
1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 $ 31
3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 140
5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 260
10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 609
1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01 31
3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03 140
5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05 260
10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10 $ 609
2018 rr_AnnualReturn2018 (11.19%)
2019 rr_AnnualReturn2019 25.91%
2020 rr_AnnualReturn2020 12.16%
2021 rr_AnnualReturn2021 24.37%
Highest Quarterly Return, Label rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel Highest Quarter
Highest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate Jun. 30, 2020
Highest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn 20.70%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel Lowest Quarter
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate Mar. 31, 2020
Lowest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn (26.56%)
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 24.37%
Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 13.17%
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Jul. 10, 2017
VA Equity Allocation Portfolio | Return After Taxes on Distributions | Institutional Class  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 21.76%
Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 11.87%
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Jul. 10, 2017
VA Equity Allocation Portfolio | Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Portfolio Shares | Institutional Class  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 15.26%
Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 9.95%
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Jul. 10, 2017
VA Equity Allocation Portfolio | MSCI World Index (net dividends) (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes on sales)  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 21.82%
Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 14.30%
[1]
The “Management Fee” and “Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses” have been adjusted to reflect the decrease in the management fee payable by the Portfolio from 0.30% to 0.27% effective as of February 28, 2021.
[2]
The “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses” and “Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses” have been restated to reflect current fees.
[3]
Dimensional Fund Advisors LP (the “Advisor”) has agreed to waive certain fees and in certain instances, assume certain expenses of the Portfolio. The Fee Waiver and Expense Assumption Agreement for the Portfolio will remain in effect through February 28, 2023, and may only be terminated by the Fund’s Board of Directors prior to that date. The Advisor retains the right to seek reimbursement for any fees previously waived and/or expenses previously assumed up to thirty‑six months after such fee waiver and/or expense assumption.