Note 12 - Available for sale Financial Assets - Available for sale Financial Assets (Details) - EUR (€) € in Millions	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Available for sale Financial Assets
Debt securities available for sale financial assets	€ 66,273	€ 74,739	€ 108,448
Impairment losses of debt instruments available for sale financial assets	(21)	(159)	(139)
Subtotal Debt securities, available-for-sale	66,251	74,580	108,310
Equity instruments available for sale	4,488	4,814	5,262
Impairment losses of Equity instruments available for sale	(1,264)	(174)	(146)
Subtotal of equity instruments available for sale	3,224	4,641	5,116
AVAILABLE-FOR-SALE FINANCIAL ASSETS	€ 69,476	€ 79,221	€ 113,426

The amount of debt instruments held, classified as available for sale.

No definition available.

Name:	bbva_Debtinstrumentsavailableforsale
Namespace Prefix:	bbva_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of equity instruments held, categorize as available for sale, gross value.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bbva_Equityinstrumentsavailableforsale
Namespace Prefix:	bbva_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of impaiment losses associated to debt instruments held, classified as available for sale.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bbva_Impairmentlossesofdebtinstruments
Namespace Prefix:	bbva_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of impaiment losses associated to equity instruments held, classified as available for sale.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bbva_Impairmentlossesofequityinstrumentsavailableforsale
Namespace Prefix:	bbva_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of debt instruments held, categorize as available for sale, gross value.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bbva_Subtotaldebtinstrumentsavailableforsale
Namespace Prefix:	bbva_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of equity instruments held, categorize as available for sale, net carrying value.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bbva_Subtotalequityinstrumentsavailableforsale
Namespace Prefix:	bbva_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_AvailableforsaleFinancialAssetsAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of non-derivative financial assets that are designated as available for sale or are not classified as (a) loans and receivables; (b) held-to-maturity investments; or (c) financial assets at fair value through profit or loss. [Refer: Derivative financial assets; Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss; Held-to-maturity investments]

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Note Expiry date 2018-01-01
-Name IFRS
-Number 7
-IssueDate 2016-01-13
-Paragraph 8
-Subparagraph d
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IFRS&num=7&date=2016-03-30&anchor=para_8_d&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2016-03-31

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_FinancialAssetsAvailableforsale
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant