Note 12 - Financial Instruments designated at fair value through profit or loss (Details) - EUR (€)	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Financial Assets At Fair Value Through Profit Or Loss
Equity instruments at fair value			€ 1,888,000,000
Debt Securities, at fair value	€ 1,214,000,000	€ 1,313,000,000	174,000,000
Loans And Advances To Customers At Fair Value	0	0	648,000,000
FINANCIAL ASSETS DESIGNATED AT FAIR VALUE THROUGH PROFIT OR LOSS	1,214,000,000	1,313,000,000	2,709,000,000
Financial Liabilities At Fair Value Through Profit Or Loss
Deposits at fair value through profit or loss	944,000,000	976,000,000	0
Debt securities at fair value through profit or loss	4,656,000,000	2,858,000,000	0
OtherFinancialLiabilitiesAndUnitLinkedProductsLiabilities	4,410,000,000	3,159,000,000	2,222,000,000
TOTAL Financial Liabilities At Fair Value Through Profit or Loss	€ 10,010,000,000	€ 6,993,000,000	€ 2,222,000,000

The amount of debt instruments held, at fair value.

No definition available.

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

- Definition

The amount of debt securities corresponding to financial liabilities designated at fair value throught profit or loss.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bbva_Debtsecuritiesatfairvaluethroughprofitorloss
Namespace Prefix:	bbva_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of deposits corresponding to financial liabilities designated at fair value throught profit or loss.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bbva_Depositsatfairvaluethroughprofitorloss
Namespace Prefix:	bbva_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of instruments held by the entity that provide evidence of a residual interest in the assets of another entity after deducting all of its liabilities that the Entity has classified at fair value through profit or loss

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

The amount of loans and advances the entity has made, at fair value.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bbva_Otherfinancialliabilitiesandunitlinkedproductsliabilities
Namespace Prefix:	bbva_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of financial assets that are measured at fair value and for which gains (losses) are recognised in profit or loss. A financial asset shall be measured at fair value through profit or loss unless it is measured at amortised cost or at fair value through other comprehensive income. A gain (loss) on a financial asset measured at fair value shall be recognised in profit or loss unless it is part of a hedging relationship, it is an investment in an equity instrument for which the entity has elected to present gains and losses in other comprehensive income or it is a financial asset measured at fair value through other comprehensive income. [Refer: At fair value [member]; Financial assets]

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IFRS
-Number 7
-IssueDate 2019-01-01
-Paragraph 8
-Subparagraph a
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IFRS&num=7&code=ifrs-tx-2019-en-r&anchor=para_8_a&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2019-03-27

+ Details

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

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

The amount of financial liabilities that meet either of the following conditions: (a) they meet the definition of held for trading; or (b) upon initial recognition they are designated by the entity as at fair value through profit or loss. An entity may use this designation only when permitted by paragraph 4.3.5 of IFRS 9 (embedded derivatives) or when doing so results in more relevant information, because either: (a) it eliminates or significantly reduces a measurement or recognition inconsistency (sometimes referred to as ‘an accounting mismatch’) that would otherwise arise from measuring assets or liabilities or recognising the gains and losses on them on different bases; or (b) a group of financial liabilities or financial assets and financial liabilities is managed and its performance is evaluated on a fair value basis, in accordance with a documented risk management or investment strategy, and information about the group is provided internally on that basis to the entity’s key management personnel (as defined in IAS 24). [Refer: At fair value [member]; Key management personnel of entity or parent [member]; Derivatives [member]; Financial assets; Financial liabilities]

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IFRS
-Number 7
-IssueDate 2019-01-01
-Paragraph 8
-Subparagraph e
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IFRS&num=7&code=ifrs-tx-2019-en-r&anchor=para_8_e&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2019-03-27

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_FinancialLiabilitiesAtFairValueThroughProfitOrLoss
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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