Organization	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015
Disclosure - Organization [Abstract]
Organization	1. Organization PartnerRe Ltd. (PartnerRe or the Company) predominantly provides reinsurance and certain specialty insurance lines on a worldwide basis through its principal wholly-owned subsidiaries, including Partner Reinsurance Company Ltd. (PartnerRe Bermuda), Partner Reinsurance Europe SE (PartnerRe Europe), Partner Reinsurance Company of the U.S. (PartnerRe U.S.) and, effective April 1, 2015, Partner Reinsurance Asia Pte. Ltd. (PartnerRe Asia). Risks reinsured include, but are not limited to, property, casualty, motor, agriculture, aviation/space, catastrophe, credit/surety, engineering, energy, marine, specialty property, specialty casualty, multiline and other lines, mortality, longevity, accident and health and alternative risk products. The Company’s alternative risk products include weather and credit protection to financial, industrial and service companies on a worldwide basis. The Company was incorporated in August 1993 under the laws of Bermuda. The Company commenced operations in November 1993 upon completion of the sale of common shares and warrants pursuant to subscription agreements and an initial public offering. The Company completed the acquisition of SAFR (subsequently renamed PartnerRe SA and reinsurance business transferred into PartnerRe Europe) in 1997, the acquisition of the reinsurance operations of Winterthur Group (Winterthur Re) in 1998, and the acquisition of PARIS RE Holdings Limited (Paris Re) in 2009. Effective December 31, 2012, the Company completed the acquisition of Presidio Reinsurance Group, Inc. (subsequently renamed and referred to herein as PartnerRe Health), a U.S. specialty accident and health reinsurance and insurance writer. As of April 1, 2015, PartnerRe Asia became the principal reinsurance carrier for the Company’s non-life and life business underwritten in the Asia Pacific region. The establishment of PartnerRe Asia has enabled the Company's Asian reinsurance operations to be consolidated into one regional, well-capitalized entity and will support its growing underwriting presence in the region. In January 2015, the Company entered into an Agreement and Plan of Amalgamation (Amalgamation Agreement) with Axis Capital Holdings Limited, a Bermuda exempted company (AXIS), pursuant to which the two companies would amalgamate and continue as a single Bermuda exempted company. On April 14, 2015, the Company announced the receipt of an unsolicited written proposal from EXOR S.p.A. (EXOR), a European investment company controlled by the Agnelli family, to acquire 100% of the outstanding common shares of the Company for $130 per share in cash. On August 2, 2015, after subsequent negotiations with EXOR, the Company entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger with Exor N.V., Pillar Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Exor N.V., and, solely with respect to certain specified sections thereof, EXOR (as subsequently amended, the Merger Agreement). The transaction would be effected by a merger of Pillar Ltd. with and into the Company, with the Company continuing as the surviving company and a wholly owned subsidiary of Exor N.V. (Merger). Pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, each PartnerRe common share issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the Merger shall automatically be canceled and converted into the right to receive (i) $137.50 in cash per share and (ii) be entitled to receive a one-time special pre-closing cash dividend in the amount of $3.00 per common share. In addition, under the terms of the Merger Agreement, EXOR committed to either (i) a 100 basis points increase in the current applicable preferred share dividend rate, such increase to be effected through an exchange offer and to be conditional and contingent upon the Company obtaining a private letter ruling from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that the enhanced terms will not be treated as fast-pay stock (within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Section 1.7701(l)-3(b)) for U.S. federal income tax purposes or (ii) if such private letter ruling is not obtained prior to closing of the transaction, pay a cash payment of approximately $42.7 million in aggregate (equal to $1.25 per preferred share) to the holders of record of the Company’s preferred shares as at the effective time of the Merger subject and subsequent to the closing of the transaction. On February 17, 2016, the Company announced that the IRS had indicated that it will not grant a private letter ruling clarifying the tax shelter reporting obligations applicable to the surviving company’s preferred shares. As such, following the closing, EXOR will pay a cash payment of approximately $42.7 million in aggregate to the holders of record of the Company’s preferred shares as at the effective time of the Merger and the Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to launch an exchange offer after the closing of the Merger, referred to as the Alternate Exchange Offer in the Merger Agreement, whereby participating preferred shareholders would receive newly issued preferred shares reflecting, subject to certain exceptions contained in the existing preferred shares, an extended call date of the fifth anniversary of the date of issuance and a restriction on payment of dividends on common shares to an amount not exceeding 67% of net income until December 31, 2020. The terms of the newly issued preferred shares would be otherwise identical in all material respects to the Company’s applicable existing preferred shares. In connection with the execution of the Merger Agreement with EXOR, the Company and AXIS terminated the Amalgamation Agreement. On August 3, 2015, the Company paid AXIS a termination fee and reimbursement of expenses of $315 million (AXIS Termination Fee). On November 19, 2015, the Merger with EXOR was approved by the Company's shareholders and the consummation of the Merger is pending certain regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. In addition, the Board of Directors (BOD) declared the special dividend, which is conditional and contingent upon the issuance of the certificate of merger by the Bermuda Registrar of Companies. See Note 18 for further details.

1. Organization

PartnerRe Ltd. (PartnerRe or the Company) predominantly provides reinsurance and certain specialty insurance lines on a worldwide basis through its principal wholly-owned subsidiaries, including Partner Reinsurance Company Ltd. (PartnerRe Bermuda), Partner Reinsurance Europe SE (PartnerRe Europe), Partner Reinsurance Company of the U.S. (PartnerRe U.S.) and, effective April 1, 2015, Partner Reinsurance Asia Pte. Ltd. (PartnerRe Asia). Risks reinsured include, but are not limited to, property, casualty, motor, agriculture, aviation/space, catastrophe, credit/surety, engineering, energy, marine, specialty property, specialty casualty, multiline and other lines, mortality, longevity, accident and health and alternative risk products. The Company’s alternative risk products include weather and credit protection to financial, industrial and service companies on a worldwide basis.

The Company was incorporated in August 1993 under the laws of Bermuda. The Company commenced operations in November 1993 upon completion of the sale of common shares and warrants pursuant to subscription agreements and an initial public offering.

The Company completed the acquisition of SAFR (subsequently renamed PartnerRe SA and reinsurance business transferred into PartnerRe Europe) in 1997, the acquisition of the reinsurance operations of Winterthur Group (Winterthur Re) in 1998, and the acquisition of PARIS RE Holdings Limited (Paris Re) in 2009.

Effective December 31, 2012, the Company completed the acquisition of Presidio Reinsurance Group, Inc. (subsequently renamed and referred to herein as PartnerRe Health), a U.S. specialty accident and health reinsurance and insurance writer.

As of April 1, 2015, PartnerRe Asia became the principal reinsurance carrier for the Company’s non-life and life business underwritten in the Asia Pacific region. The establishment of PartnerRe Asia has enabled the Company's Asian reinsurance operations to be consolidated into one regional, well-capitalized entity and will support its growing underwriting presence in the region.

In January 2015, the Company entered into an Agreement and Plan of Amalgamation (Amalgamation Agreement) with Axis Capital Holdings Limited, a Bermuda exempted company (AXIS), pursuant to which the two companies would amalgamate and continue as a single Bermuda exempted company.

On April 14, 2015, the Company announced the receipt of an unsolicited written proposal from EXOR S.p.A. (EXOR), a European investment company controlled by the Agnelli family, to acquire 100% of the outstanding common shares of the Company for $130 per share in cash.

On August 2, 2015, after subsequent negotiations with EXOR, the Company entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger with Exor N.V., Pillar Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Exor N.V., and, solely with respect to certain specified sections thereof, EXOR (as subsequently amended, the Merger Agreement). The transaction would be effected by a merger of Pillar Ltd. with and into the Company, with the Company continuing as the surviving company and a wholly owned subsidiary of Exor N.V. (Merger). Pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, each PartnerRe common share issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the Merger shall automatically be canceled and converted into the right to receive (i) $137.50 in cash per share and (ii) be entitled to receive a one-time special pre-closing cash dividend in the amount of $3.00 per common share.

In addition, under the terms of the Merger Agreement, EXOR committed to either (i) a 100 basis points increase in the current applicable preferred share dividend rate, such increase to be effected through an exchange offer and to be conditional and contingent upon the Company obtaining a private letter ruling from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that the enhanced terms will not be treated as fast-pay stock (within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Section 1.7701(l)-3(b)) for U.S. federal income tax purposes or (ii) if such private letter ruling is not obtained prior to closing of the transaction, pay a cash payment of approximately $42.7 million in aggregate (equal to $1.25 per preferred share) to the holders of record of the Company’s preferred shares as at the effective time of the Merger subject and subsequent to the closing of the transaction. On February 17, 2016, the Company announced that the IRS had indicated that it will not grant a private letter ruling clarifying the tax shelter reporting obligations applicable to the surviving company’s preferred shares.

As such, following the closing, EXOR will pay a cash payment of approximately $42.7 million in aggregate to the holders of record of the Company’s preferred shares as at the effective time of the Merger and the Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to launch an exchange offer after the closing of the Merger, referred to as the Alternate Exchange Offer in the Merger Agreement, whereby participating preferred shareholders would receive newly issued preferred shares reflecting, subject to certain exceptions contained in the existing preferred shares, an extended call date of the fifth anniversary of the date of issuance and a restriction on payment of dividends on common shares to an amount not exceeding 67% of net income until December 31, 2020. The terms of the newly issued preferred shares would be otherwise identical in all material respects to the Company’s applicable existing preferred shares.

In connection with the execution of the Merger Agreement with EXOR, the Company and AXIS terminated the Amalgamation Agreement. On August 3, 2015, the Company paid AXIS a termination fee and reimbursement of expenses of $315 million (AXIS Termination Fee).

On November 19, 2015, the Merger with EXOR was approved by the Company's shareholders and the consummation of the Merger is pending certain regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. In addition, the Board of Directors (BOD) declared the special dividend, which is conditional and contingent upon the issuance of the certificate of merger by the Bermuda Registrar of Companies. See Note 18 for further details.