Related Party Transactions - Operating Agreements and Investment Advisory and Other Fees (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Earning related to agreements	$ 877	$ 875	$ 857
Short-term loan to affiliate	69	0
Voya Investment Management LLC
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Expenses incurred	68	65	64
Earning related to agreements	59	63	55
Voya Services Company
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Asset management, administrative and accounting services fees	431	363	347
US Insurance Company and Affiliates
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Expenses incurred	12	16	54
Voya Financial Advisors, Inc
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Commission expenses incurred	82	79	77
Voya Insurance and Annuity Company (VIAC) and ReliaStar Life Insurance Company of New York (RLNY), and Affiliated Companies \| DSL
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Commissions collected	0	69	170
VIAC, VIPS, ReliaStar Life Insurance Company and Security Life of Denver Insurance Company \| DSL
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Expenses incurred	0	26	83
Voya Investments, LLC and Voya Investment Management, LLC, and Affiliated Companies \| DSL
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Asset management, administrative and accounting services fees	0	0	23
Affiliated entity \| Voya Financial Partners, LLC (VFP)
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Distribution revenues	27	27	27
Affiliated entity \| DSL
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Earning related to agreements	$ 0	$ 27	$ 179

For an unclassified balance sheet, amounts due from related parties including affiliates, employees, joint ventures, officers and stockholders, immediate families thereof, and pension funds.

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.10(3))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(k)(1))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=119400593&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 4: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 850
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (d)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6457730&loc=d3e39549-107864

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DueFromRelatedParties
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Income from agency and brokerage operations (includes sales of annuities and supplemental contracts); service charges, commissions, and fees from the sale of insurance and related services; and management fees from separate accounts, deferred annuities, and universal life products.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 220
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-04.13(c),(d))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116637391&loc=SL114874048-224260

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 220
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-04.4)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116637232&loc=SL114874131-224263

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_InsuranceCommissionsAndFees
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of fees incurred for commissions on mutual funds and insurance products.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NoninterestExpenseCommissionExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Cash received for commissions during the current period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 25
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118932676&loc=d3e3536-108585

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProceedsFromCommissionsReceived
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Expenses recognized resulting from transactions (excluding transactions that are eliminated in consolidated or combined financial statements) with related party.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 850
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6457730&loc=d3e39549-107864

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionExpensesFromTransactionsWithRelatedParty
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of selling, general and administrative expenses resulting from transactions, excluding transactions that are eliminated in consolidated or combined financial statements, with related party.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionSellingGeneralAndAdministrativeExpensesFromTransactionsWithRelatedParty
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount, including tax collected from customer, of revenue from satisfaction of performance obligation by transferring promised good or service to customer. Tax collected from customer is tax assessed by governmental authority that is both imposed on and concurrent with specific revenue-producing transaction, including, but not limited to, sales, use, value-added and excise.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118956577&loc=SL49130545-203045

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118956577&loc=SL49130543-203045

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RevenueFromContractWithCustomerIncludingAssessedTax
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis=vriac_VoyaInvestmentManagementLLCMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis=vriac_VoyaServicesCompanyMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis=vriac_UsInsuranceCompanyAndAffiliatesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis=vriac_VoyaFinancialAdvisorsIncMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis=vriac_VoyaInsuranceandAnnuityCompanyVIACandReliaStarLifeInsuranceCompanyofNewYorkRLNYandAffiliatedCompaniesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_ConsolidatedEntitiesAxis=srt_SubsidiariesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis=vriac_VIACVIPSReliaStarLifeInsuranceCompanyandSecurityLifeofDenverInsuranceCompanyMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis=vriac_VoyaInvestmentsLLCandVoyaInvestmentManagementLLCandAffiliatedCompaniesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis=srt_AffiliatedEntityMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_CounterpartyNameAxis=vriac_VoyaFinancialPartnersLLCMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: