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Label Element Value
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Registrant Name dei_EntityRegistrantName JOHN HANCOCK VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST
Prospectus Date rr_ProspectusDate Apr. 30, 2012
Supplement [Text Block] jhvit_SupplementTextBlock
John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust
Supplement dated June 1, 2012
to the Prospectus dated April 30, 2012
Growth Equity Trust
The “Annual Fund Operating Expenses” table under “Fees and Expenses” has been amended and restated to reflect this change.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Distribution Total fund
Management and service operating
Share Class Fee (1) (12b-1) fees Other Expenses expenses
Series I
 0.73 % 0.05 % 0.04% (2) 0.82 %
Series II
 0.73 % 0.25 % 0.04% (2) 1.02 %
Series NAV
 0.73 % 0.00 % 0.04% 0.77 %

(1) Reflects management fee in effect as of June 1, 2012.
(2) For funds and classes that have not commenced operations or have an inception date of less than six months as of December 31, 2011, “Other Expenses” are estimated.
Examples. The examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The examples assume that $10,000 is invested in the fund for the periods indicated and then all shares are redeemed at the end of those periods. The examples also assume that the investment has a 5% return each year and that the fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions you costs would be:
Year 1 Year 3 Year 5 Year 10
Series I
 $ 84 $ 262 N/A N/A
Series II
 $ 104 $ 325 N/A N/A
Series NAV
 $ 79 $ 246 $ 428 $ 954
Growth Equity Trust | Prospectus Series I, Series II and Series NAV Shares
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Supplement [Text Block] jhvit_SupplementTextBlock
John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust
Supplement dated June 1, 2012
to the Prospectus dated April 30, 2012
Growth Equity Trust
The “Annual Fund Operating Expenses” table under “Fees and Expenses” has been amended and restated to reflect this change.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Distribution Total fund
Management and service operating
Share Class Fee (1) (12b-1) fees Other Expenses expenses
Series I
 0.73 % 0.05 % 0.04% (2) 0.82 %
Series II
 0.73 % 0.25 % 0.04% (2) 1.02 %
Series NAV
 0.73 % 0.00 % 0.04% 0.77 %

(1) Reflects management fee in effect as of June 1, 2012.
(2) For funds and classes that have not commenced operations or have an inception date of less than six months as of December 31, 2011, “Other Expenses” are estimated.
Examples. The examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The examples assume that $10,000 is invested in the fund for the periods indicated and then all shares are redeemed at the end of those periods. The examples also assume that the investment has a 5% return each year and that the fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions you costs would be:
Year 1 Year 3 Year 5 Year 10
Series I
 $ 84 $ 262 N/A N/A
Series II
 $ 104 $ 325 N/A N/A
Series NAV
 $ 79 $ 246 $ 428 $ 954
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)
Other Expenses, New Fund, Based on Estimates [Text] rr_OtherExpensesNewFundBasedOnEstimates For funds and classes that have not commenced operations or have an inception date of less than six months as of December 31, 2011, “Other Expenses” are estimated.
Expense Example [Heading] rr_ExpenseExampleHeading Examples.
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock The examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The examples assume that $10,000 is invested in the fund for the periods indicated and then all shares are redeemed at the end of those periods. The examples also assume that the investment has a 5% return each year and that the fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions you costs would be:
Growth Equity Trust | Prospectus Series I, Series II and Series NAV Shares | Series I
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Management Fee rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.73% [1]
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets 0.05%
Other Expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.04% [2]
Total fund operating expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 0.82%
Year 1 rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 84
Year 3 rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 262
Year 5 rr_ExpenseExampleYear05   
Year 10 rr_ExpenseExampleYear10   
Growth Equity Trust | Prospectus Series I, Series II and Series NAV Shares | Series II
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Management Fee rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.73% [1]
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets 0.25%
Other Expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.04% [2]
Total fund operating expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 1.02%
Year 1 rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 104
Year 3 rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 325
Year 5 rr_ExpenseExampleYear05   
Year 10 rr_ExpenseExampleYear10   
Growth Equity Trust | Prospectus Series I, Series II and Series NAV Shares | NAV Class
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Management Fee rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.73% [1]
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets none
Other Expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.04%
Total fund operating expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 0.77%
Year 1 rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 79
Year 3 rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 246
Year 5 rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 428
Year 10 rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 954
[1] Reflects management fee in effect as of June 1, 2012.
[2] For funds and classes that have not commenced operations or have an inception date of less than six months as of December 31, 2011, "Other Expenses" are estimated.