SCHEDULE II - Condensed Balance Sheets - Parent Company Only (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 1,313,468,000		$ 1,496,485,000		$ 1,121,705,000	$ 1,342,257,000
Other	45,603,000		149,296,000
Total assets	22,270,357,000		23,038,295,000
Liabilities
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other	304,728,000		291,350,000
Total liabilities	15,165,946,000		16,272,136,000
Shareholders’ Equity
Common shares (par value $1.00; issued: 2014, 87,237,220 shares; 2013, 86,657,045 shares)	87,237,000		86,657,000
Preferred shares (par value $1.00; issued and outstanding: 2014 and 2013: 34,150,000 shares; aggregate liquidation value: 2014 and 2013: $853,750)	34,150,000		34,150,000
Additional paid-in capital	3,949,665,000		3,901,627,000
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(34,083,000)		(12,238,000)
Retained earnings	6,270,811,000		5,406,797,000
Common shares held in treasury, at cost (2014, 39,400,936 shares; 2013, 34,213,611 shares)	(3,258,870,000)		(2,707,461,000)
Total shareholders’ equity attributable to PartnerRe Ltd.	7,048,910,000		6,709,532,000		6,933,496,000
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	22,270,357,000		23,038,295,000
CondensedFinancialStatementsParentheticals [Abstract]
Common shares, par value	$ 1		$ 1
Common shares, shares issued	87,237,220		86,657,045
Preferred shares, par value	$ 1		$ 1
Number of preferred shares issued	34,150,000		34,150,000
Preferred shares, shares outstanding	34,150,000		34,150,000
Aggregate liquidation value	853,750,000		853,750,000
Common shares held in treasury, shares	39,400,936		34,213,611
Senior Notes Debt [Member] | Notes Issued By Partner Re Finance A LLC [Member]
Parent Company Guarantee Disclosures [Abstract]
Interest rate on obligations guaranteed by the Parent Company	6.875%
Senior Notes Debt [Member] | Notes Issued By Partner Re Finance B LLC [Member]
Parent Company Guarantee Disclosures [Abstract]
Interest rate on obligations guaranteed by the Parent Company	5.50%
Parent Company [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	371,000		1,286,000		30,372,000	51,729,000
Investments in subsidiaries	8,242,199,000		8,170,653,000
Intercompany loans and balances receivable	675,408,000		730,450,000
Other	2,476,000		3,961,000
Total assets	8,920,454,000		8,906,350,000
Liabilities
Intercompany loans and balances payable (1)	1,845,690,000	[1]	2,175,401,000	[1]
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other	25,854,000		21,417,000
Total liabilities	1,871,544,000		2,196,818,000
Shareholders’ Equity
Common shares (par value $1.00; issued: 2014, 87,237,220 shares; 2013, 86,657,045 shares)	87,237,000		86,657,000
Preferred shares (par value $1.00; issued and outstanding: 2014 and 2013: 34,150,000 shares; aggregate liquidation value: 2014 and 2013: $853,750)	34,150,000		34,150,000
Additional paid-in capital	3,949,665,000		3,901,627,000
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(34,083,000)		(12,238,000)
Retained earnings	6,270,811,000		5,406,797,000
Common shares held in treasury, at cost (2014, 39,400,936 shares; 2013, 34,213,611 shares)	(3,258,870,000)		(2,707,461,000)
Total shareholders’ equity attributable to PartnerRe Ltd.	7,048,910,000		6,709,532,000
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	8,920,454,000		8,906,350,000
CondensedFinancialStatementsParentheticals [Abstract]
Common shares, par value	$ 1		$ 1
Common shares, shares issued	87,237,220		86,657,045
Preferred shares, par value	$ 1		$ 1
Number of preferred shares issued	34,150,000		34,150,000
Preferred shares, shares outstanding	34,150,000		34,150,000
Aggregate liquidation value	853,750,000		853,750,000
Common shares held in treasury, shares	39,400,936		34,213,611
Parent Company [Member] | Capital efficient notes [Member] | Notes Issued By Partner Re Finance II Inc [Member] | FinancialGuaranteeMember
Parent Company Guarantee Disclosures [Abstract]
Guarantor Obligations, Current Carrying Value	63,400,000
Interest rate on obligations guaranteed by the Parent Company	6.44%
Parent Company [Member] | Senior Notes Debt [Member] | Notes Issued By Partner Re Finance A LLC [Member] | FinancialGuaranteeMember
Parent Company Guarantee Disclosures [Abstract]
Guarantor Obligations, Current Carrying Value	250,000,000
Interest rate on obligations guaranteed by the Parent Company	6.875%
Parent Company [Member] | Senior Notes Debt [Member] | Notes Issued By Partner Re Finance B LLC [Member] | FinancialGuaranteeMember
Parent Company Guarantee Disclosures [Abstract]
Guarantor Obligations, Current Carrying Value	$ 500,000,000
Interest rate on obligations guaranteed by the Parent Company	5.50%

[1] The parent has fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a subordinated basis all obligations of PartnerRe Finance II Inc., an indirect 100% owned finance subsidiary of the parent, related to the remaining $63.4 million aggregate principal amount of 6.440% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Junior Subordinated Capital Efficient Notes (CENts). The parent’s obligations under this guarantee are unsecured and rank junior in priority of payments to the parent’s Senior Notes.The parent has fully and unconditionally guaranteed all obligations of PartnerRe Finance A and PartnerRe Finance B, indirect 100% owned finance subsidiaries of the parent, related to the issuance of $250 million aggregate principal amount of 6.875% Senior Notes and $500 million aggregate principal amount of 5.500% Senior Notes. The parent’s obligations under these guarantees are senior and unsecured and rank equally with all other senior unsecured indebtedness of the parent.