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Risk Return Abstract rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Registrant Name dei_EntityRegistrantName JOHN HANCOCK VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST
Prospectus Date rr_ProspectusDate Apr. 28, 2025
Global Equity Trust  
Risk Return Abstract rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk/Return [Heading] rr_RiskReturnHeading <span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial Narrow;font-size:24pt;">Global Equity Trust</span>
Objective [Heading] rr_ObjectiveHeading <span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial Narrow;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">Investment objective</span>
Objective, Primary [Text Block] rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock To seek long-term capital appreciation.
Expense [Heading] rr_ExpenseHeading <span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial Narrow;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">Fees and expenses</span>
Expense Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the fund. The fees and expenses do not reflect fees and expenses of any variable insurance or variable annuities contract that may use the fund as its underlying investment option and would be higher if they did.
Operating Expenses Caption [Text] rr_OperatingExpensesCaption <span style="font-family:Arial Narrow;font-size:8pt;font-weight:bold;margin-left:0.0pt;">Annual fund operating expenses (%) </span><span style="font-family:Arial Narrow;font-size:8pt;margin-left:0.0pt;">(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)</span>
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination <span style="font-family:Arial Narrow;font-size:8pt;">July 31, 2026</span>
Portfolio Turnover [Heading] rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading <span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial Narrow;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">Portfolio turnover</span>
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block] rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock The fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the fund’s performance. During its most recent fiscal year, the fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 47% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate 47.00%
Expense Example [Heading] rr_ExpenseExampleHeading <span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial Narrow;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">Expense example</span>
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. The expense example does not reflect fees and expenses of any variable insurance contract that may use the fund as its underlying investment option and would be higher if they did. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Strategy [Heading] rr_StrategyHeading <span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial Narrow;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">Principal investment strategies</span>
Strategy Narrative [Text Block] rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock The fund seeks to generate capital appreciation by investing at least 80% of net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in a diversified portfolio of equity securities. This policy is subject to change only upon 60 days’ prior written notice to shareholders. Under normal market conditions, at least 40% of the value of the fund’s net assets will be invested in issuers domiciled outside of the United States (“Foreign Companies”), unless the manager deems market conditions and/or company valuations to be less favorable to Foreign Companies, in which case, the fund will invest at least 30% of the value of its net assets in Foreign Companies. Foreign Companies include issuers domiciled in emerging markets and securities for which the relevant reference entity is domiciled outside the United States, such as American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), that trade on U.S. exchanges. There are no limits on the market capitalization ranges of the companies in which the fund may invest. The fund may invest in the securities of large, medium, or small companies. In managing the fund, the manager seeks to identify undervalued companies that exhibit attractive valuations, solid business franchises, sustainable margins/cash flow, disciplined capital allocation, strong management teams, and strong balance sheets. The manager employs an unconstrained, bottom-up stock selection process based on disciplined fundamental research with the aim to create a diversified portfolio of quality global stocks of any size that not only demonstrate compelling value but also generate sustainable cash flows. Equity securities include common and preferred stocks and their equivalents, including depositary receipts, warrants, rights, and securities convertible into common or preferred stocks. The decision-making process involves candidate companies being screened for valuation, quality, and dividends, together with a detailed examination of the challenges and opportunities that exist for that business. The manager will assess the valuation opportunity for that company by establishing base-case, upside, and downside price targets. The manager will take into consideration the diversification benefits and the liquidity of the security before making the final investment decision. The fund may invest in cash, money market instruments, repurchase agreements, or other short-term instruments for the purposes of meeting redemption requests or making other anticipated cash payments. The manager considers environmental, social, and/or governance (ESG) factors, alongside other relevant factors, as part of its investment process. ESG factors may include, but are not limited to, matters regarding board diversity, climate change policies, and supply chain and human rights policies. The ESG characteristics utilized in the fund’s investment process may change over time and one or more characteristics may not be relevant with respect to all issuers that are eligible fund investments. Because ESG factors are considered alongside other relevant factors, the manager may determine that an investment is appropriate notwithstanding its relative ESG characteristics.
Risk [Heading] rr_RiskHeading <span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial Narrow;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">Principal risks</span>
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading] rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading <span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial Narrow;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">Past performance</span>
Performance Narrative [Text Block] rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock The following information illustrates the variability of the fund’s returns and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the fund by showing changes in the fund’s performance from year to year and by showing how the fund’s average annual returns compared with a broad-based securities market index.Past performance does not indicate future results.All figures assume dividend reinvestment. The performance information below does not reflect fees and expenses of any variable insurance contract which may use JHVIT as its underlying investment option. If such fees and expenses had been reflected, performance would be lower.A note on performancePrior to April 27, 2020, the fund was managed by a different subadvisor pursuant to different investment strategies, and thus, the performance presented prior to this date should not be attributed to the current subadvisor. The fund’s performance shown below might have differed materially had the current subadvisor managed the fund prior to April 27, 2020.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text] rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns <span style="font-family:Arial Narrow;font-size:9pt;">The following information illustrates the variability of the fund’s returns and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the fund by showing changes in the fund’s performance from year to year and by showing how the fund’s average annual returns compared with a broad-based securities market index.</span>
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text] rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture <span style="font-family:Arial Narrow;font-size:9pt;">Past performance does not indicate future results.</span>
Bar Chart [Heading] rr_BarChartHeading <span style="font-family:Arial Narrow;font-size:9pt;font-weight:bold;">Calendar year total returns (%)—Series I</span>
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block] rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock Best quarter:Q2 202014.79%Worst quarter:Q1 2020-21.94%
Performance Table Heading rr_PerformanceTableHeading <span style="font-family:Arial Narrow;font-size:8pt;font-weight:bold;margin-left:0.0pt;">Average annual total returns (%)—as of 12/31/2024</span>
Global Equity Trust | Risk Lose Money [Member]  
Risk Return Abstract rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk [Text Block] rr_RiskTextBlock Many factors affect performance, and fund shares will fluctuate in price, meaning you could lose money.
Global Equity Trust | Risk Not Insured Depository Institution [Member]  
Risk Return Abstract rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk [Text Block] rr_RiskTextBlock An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Global Equity Trust | Cash And Cash Equivalents Risk [Member]  
Risk Return Abstract rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk [Text Block] rr_RiskTextBlock Cash and cash equivalents risk.  Under certain market conditions, such as during a rising stock market, rising interest rate or rising credit spread markets, the use of cash and/or cash equivalents, including money market instruments, could have a negative effect on the fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective and may negatively impact the fund’s performance.
Global Equity Trust | Economic And Market Events Risk [Member]  
Risk Return Abstract rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk [Text Block] rr_RiskTextBlock Economic and market events risk.  Events in the U.S. and global financial markets, including actions taken by the U.S. Federal Reserve or foreign central banks to stimulate or stabilize economic growth, may at times result in unusually high market volatility, which could negatively impact performance. Reduced liquidity in credit and fixed-income markets could adversely affect issuers worldwide. Banks and financial services companies could suffer losses if interest rates rise or economic conditions deteriorate.
Global Equity Trust | Equity Securities Risk [Member]  
Risk Return Abstract rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk [Text Block] rr_RiskTextBlock Equity securities risk.  The price of equity securities may decline due to changes in a company’s financial condition or overall market conditions. Securities the manager believes are undervalued may never realize their full potential value, and in certain markets value stocks may underperform the market as a whole.
Global Equity Trust | ESG Integration Risk [Member]  
Risk Return Abstract rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk [Text Block] rr_RiskTextBlock ESG integration risk.  The manager considers ESG factors that it deems relevant or additive, along with other material factors and analysis, when managing the fund. ESG factors may include, but are not limited to, matters regarding board diversity, climate change policies, and supply chain and human rights policies. The manager may consider these ESG factors on all or a meaningful portion of the fund’s investments. Incorporating ESG criteria and making investment decisions based on certain ESG characteristics, as determined by the manager, carries the risk that the fund may perform differently, including underperforming, funds that do not utilize ESG criteria, or funds that utilize different ESG criteria.
Global Equity Trust | Foreign Securities Risk [Member]  
Risk Return Abstract rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk [Text Block] rr_RiskTextBlock Foreign securities risk.  Less information may be publicly available regarding foreign issuers, including foreign government issuers. Foreign securities may be subject to foreign taxes and may be more volatile than U.S. securities. Currency fluctuations and political and economic developments may adversely impact the value of foreign securities. The risks of investing in foreign securities are magnified in emerging markets. Depositary receipts are subject to most of the risks associated with investing in foreign securities directly because the value of a depositary receipt is dependent upon the market price of the underlying foreign equity security. Depositary receipts are also subject to liquidity risk.
Global Equity Trust | Large Company Risk [Member]  
Risk Return Abstract rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk [Text Block] rr_RiskTextBlock Large company risk.  Larger companies may grow more slowly than smaller companies or be slower to respond to business developments. Large-capitalization securities may underperform the market as a whole.
Global Equity Trust | Operational And Cybersecurity Risk [Member]  
Risk Return Abstract rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk [Text Block] rr_RiskTextBlock Operational and cybersecurity risk.  Cybersecurity breaches may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause a fund or its service providers to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. Similar incidents affecting issuers of a fund’s securities may negatively impact performance. Operational risk may arise from human error, error by third parties, communication errors, or technology failures, among other causes.
Global Equity Trust | Preferred And Convertible Securities Risk [Member]  
Risk Return Abstract rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk [Text Block] rr_RiskTextBlock Preferred and convertible securities risk.  Preferred stock dividends are payable only if declared by the issuer’s board. Preferred stock may be subject to redemption provisions. The market values of convertible securities tend to fall as interest rates rise and rise as interest rates fall. Convertible preferred stock’s value can depend heavily upon the underlying common stock’s value.
Global Equity Trust | Repurchase Agreement Risk [Member]  
Risk Return Abstract rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk [Text Block] rr_RiskTextBlock Repurchase agreements risk.  The risk of a repurchase agreement transaction is limited to the ability of the seller to pay the agreed-upon sum on the delivery date. In the event of bankruptcy or other default by the seller, the instrument purchased may decline in value, interest payable on the instrument may be lost and there may be possible difficulties and delays in obtaining collateral and delays and expense in liquidating the instrument.
Global Equity Trust | Small And Mid Sized Company Risk [Member]  
Risk Return Abstract rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk [Text Block] rr_RiskTextBlock Small and mid-sized company risk.  Small and mid-sized companies are generally less established and may be more volatile than larger companies. Small and/or mid-capitalization securities may underperform the market as a whole.
Global Equity Trust | Warrants Risk [Member]  
Risk Return Abstract rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk [Text Block] rr_RiskTextBlock Warrants risk.  The prices of warrants may not precisely reflect the prices of their underlying securities. Warrant holders do not receive dividends or have voting or credit rights. A warrant ceases to have value if not exercised prior to its expiration date.
Global Equity Trust | Series I  
Risk Return Abstract rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Management fee rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.80%
Distribution and service (Rule 12b-1) fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets 0.05%
Other expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.09%
Total annual fund operating expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 0.94%
Contractual expense reimbursement rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets (0.01%) [1]
Total annual fund operating expenses after expense reimbursements rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 0.93%
1 year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 $ 95
3 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 299
5 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 519
10 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 $ 1,154
2015 rr_AnnualReturn2015 (6.42%)
2016 rr_AnnualReturn2016 9.47%
2017 rr_AnnualReturn2017 18.88%
2018 rr_AnnualReturn2018 (14.49%)
2019 rr_AnnualReturn2019 16.04%
2020 rr_AnnualReturn2020 6.60%
2021 rr_AnnualReturn2021 21.30%
2022 rr_AnnualReturn2022 (14.84%)
2023 rr_AnnualReturn2023 20.09%
2024 rr_AnnualReturn2024 10.47%
Highest Quarterly Return, Label rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel <span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial Narrow;font-size:8pt;font-weight:bold;margin-left:0.0pt;">Best quarter:</span>
Highest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate Jun. 30, 2020
Highest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn 14.79%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel <span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial Narrow;font-size:8pt;font-weight:bold;margin-left:0.0pt;">Worst quarter:</span>
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate Mar. 31, 2020
Lowest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn (21.94%)
1 year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 10.47%
5 year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 7.88%
10 year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 5.85%
Global Equity Trust | Series II  
Risk Return Abstract rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Management fee rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.80%
Distribution and service (Rule 12b-1) fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets 0.25%
Other expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.09%
Total annual fund operating expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 1.14%
Contractual expense reimbursement rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets (0.01%) [1]
Total annual fund operating expenses after expense reimbursements rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 1.13%
1 year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 $ 115
3 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 361
5 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 627
10 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 $ 1,385
1 year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 10.28%
5 year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 7.66%
10 year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 5.64%
Global Equity Trust | NAV  
Risk Return Abstract rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Management fee rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.80%
Distribution and service (Rule 12b-1) fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets none
Other expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.09%
Total annual fund operating expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 0.89%
Contractual expense reimbursement rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets (0.01%) [1]
Total annual fund operating expenses after expense reimbursements rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 0.88%
1 year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 $ 90
3 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 283
5 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 492
10 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 $ 1,095
1 year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 10.53%
5 year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 7.94%
10 year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 5.90%
Global Equity Trust | MSCI World Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes, except foreign withholding taxes on dividends)  
Risk Return Abstract rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 18.67%
5 year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 11.17%
10 year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 9.95%
[1] The advisor contractually agrees to waive a portion of its management fee and/or reimburse expenses for the fund and certain other John Hancock funds according to an asset level breakpoint schedule that is based on the aggregate net assets of all the funds participating in the waiver or reimbursement, including the fund (the participating portfolios). This waiver equals, on an annualized basis, 0.0100% of that portion of the aggregate net assets of all the participating portfolios that exceeds $75 billion but is less than or equal to $125 billion; 0.0125% of that portion of the aggregate net assets of all the participating portfolios that exceeds $125 billion but is less than or equal to $150 billion; 0.0150% of that portion of the aggregate net assets of all the participating portfolios that exceeds $150 billion but is less than or equal to $175 billion; 0.0175% of that portion of the aggregate net assets of all the participating portfolios that exceeds $175 billion but is less than or equal to $200 billion; 0.0200% of that portion of the aggregate net assets of all the participating portfolios that exceeds $200 billion but is less than or equal to $225 billion; and 0.0225% of that portion of the aggregate net assets of all the participating portfolios that exceeds $225 billion. The amount of the reimbursement is calculated daily and allocated among all the participating portfolios in proportion to the daily net assets of each participating portfolio. During its most recent fiscal year, the fund’s reimbursement amounted to 0.01% of the fund’s average daily net assets. This agreement expires on July 31, 2026, unless renewed by mutual agreement of the fund and the advisor based upon a determination that this is appropriate under the circumstances at that time.