Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	LINCOLN VARIABLE INSURANCE PRODUCTS TRUST
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	May 01, 2017
LVIP American Global Growth Allocation Managed Risk Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk/Return [Heading]	rr_RiskReturnHeading	LVIP American Global Growth Allocation Managed Risk Fund (Standard and Service Class) Summary
Objective [Heading]	rr_ObjectiveHeading	Investment Objective
Objective, Primary [Text Block]	rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock	The investment objective of the LVIP American Global Growth Allocation Managed Risk Fund (the “Fund”) is to seek a balance between a high level of current income and growth of capital, with a greater emphasis on growth of capital.
Expense [Heading]	rr_ExpenseHeading	Fees and Expenses
Expense Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock	This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares. This table does not reflect any variable contract expenses. If variable contract expenses were included, the expenses shown would be higher.
Operating Expenses Caption [Text]	rr_OperatingExpensesCaption	Annual Fund Operating Expenses (Expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Portfolio Turnover [Heading]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading	Portfolio Turnover
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock	The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance.During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 25% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate	rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate	25.00%
Expenses Restated to Reflect Current [Text]	rr_ExpensesRestatedToReflectCurrent	Other Expenses were restated to reflect the current fee structure of the fund.
Expenses Not Correlated to Ratio Due to Acquired Fund Fees [Text]	rr_ExpensesNotCorrelatedToRatioDueToAcquiredFundFees	The Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses do not correlate to the ratio of expenses to the average net assets appearing in the Financial Highlights table which reflects only the operating expenses of the Fund and does not include AFFE.
Expense Example [Heading]	rr_ExpenseExampleHeading	Example
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock	This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated if you invest $10,000 in the Fund’s shares. The example also assumes that the Fund provides a return of 5% a year and that operating expenses remain the same. Your actual costs may be higher or lower than this example. This example does not reflect any variable contract expenses. If variable contract expenses were included, the expenses shown would be higher. The results apply whether or not you redeem your investment at the end of the given period.
Strategy [Heading]	rr_StrategyHeading	Principal Investment Strategies
Strategy Narrative [Text Block]	rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock	The Fund operates under a “fund of funds” structure. The Fund, under normal circumstances, invests substantially all of its assets in mutual funds (“underlying funds”) which, in turn, invest in equity (stocks) and/or fixed income (bonds) securities. The underlying funds will be American Funds Insurance Series® and American Funds® retail funds. The Fund will also employ an actively managed risk-management strategy (the “risk management strategy”), which seeks to stabilize the Fund’s overall portfolio volatility. Underlying Fund Allocation Strategy. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest in underlying funds so that approximately 70% of the assets in the underlying funds will be invested primarily in equity securities (stocks) and approximately 30% will be invested primarily in fixed income securities (bonds). Lincoln Investment Advisors Corporation (the “adviser”) develops the Fund's asset allocation strategy based on the Fund's investment objective. The Fund's largest allocation will be to underlying funds that invest primarily in domestic and foreign equity securities, including securities of small- and medium-capitalization companies, with growth and value characteristics. The adviser defines small-capitalization and medium-capitalization companies as those with a market capitalization of between $2.4 billion and $28.7 billion. The foreign equity securities held by the underlying funds may include companies in emerging markets. The Fund normally maintains investment exposure to at least three countries outside of the United States. Typically, the Fund invests in a large number of different countries. The Fund is not required to allocate its investments in any set percentages in any particular countries. A smaller allocation will be made to underlying funds that invest primarily in domestic fixed income securities, including mortgage-backed securities, high yield securities (junk bonds) and securities backed by the U.S. Treasury. Some foreign fixed-income securities will also be held. On at least an annual basis, the adviser will reassess and may make revisions in the Fund’s asset allocation strategy consistent with the Fund's investment strategy and objective, including revising the weightings among the underlying funds and adding or removing underlying funds from the asset allocation strategy. The adviser will also periodically rebalance the weightings in the underlying funds to the current asset allocation strategy. In general, the adviser does not anticipate making frequent changes in the asset allocation strategy and will not attempt to time the market. The adviser uses various analytical tools and third party research to construct the portfolio. The underlying fund selection is made based on the Fund’s particular asset allocation strategy, the adviser's desired asset class exposures, and the investment styles and performance of the underlying funds. The adviser also considers the portfolio characteristics and risk profile for each underlying fund over various periods and market environments to assess each underlying fund’s suitability as an investment for the Fund. Risk Management Strategy. The Fund’s adviser has retained Milliman Financial Risk Management LLC (“Milliman” or “overlay manager”) as sub-adviser to the Fund to implement the risk management strategy within the parameters stated below. Although up to 20% of the Fund’s net assets may be used by Milliman to implement the risk management strategy, under normal market conditions it is expected that less than 10% of the Fund’s net assets will be used for the strategy. Milliman uses a proprietary volatility forecasting model to manage the assets allocated to this strategy. As part of the risk management strategy, Milliman will invest the portion of the Fund not invested in underlying funds in exchange-traded futures contracts, cash collateral to support these contracts and/or high-quality short-term money market investments. The risk management strategy consists of using hedging instruments (short positions in exchange-traded futures contracts) to stabilize the Fund’s overall portfolio volatility and reduce the downside exposure of the Fund during significant market downturns. “Volatility” in this context is a statistical measurement of the frequency and level of changes in the Fund’s returns without regard to the direction of those changes. Volatility may result from rapid and dramatic price swings of securities held directly or indirectly by the Fund. Milliman uses a proprietary model to monitor and forecast volatility and will adjust the level of exchange-traded futures contracts on that basis. Futures contracts can be purchased or sold by the Fund for less than their contract value, allowing an efficient use of Fund assets for the risk management strategy. The risk management strategy is separate and distinct from any riders or features of your insurance contract. Milliman selects individual futures contracts on equity indices of domestic and foreign markets that it believes are highly correlated to the Fund’s equity exposure. Milliman will primarily sell (short) futures contracts on these indices to decrease the Fund’s aggregate economic exposure to equities (from both underlying funds and exchange-traded futures) based upon Milliman’s evaluation of market volatility and downside equity market risk. Short futures contracts increase in value as equity markets decline. Milliman will seek to hedge currency risks involved in the foreign futures contracts primarily through the use of exchange-traded currency futures contracts. Even in periods of low volatility in the equity markets, Milliman will continue to use the hedging techniques designed to preserve gains in favorable market conditions and reduce losses in adverse market conditions. The Fund’s investment in exchange-traded futures and their resulting costs could limit the upside participation of the Fund in strong, appreciating markets relative to unhedged funds. In situations of extreme market volatility, the short positions held in exchange-traded futures could potentially reduce the Fund’s net economic exposure to equity securities to a substantial degree. Additional Information About Investment Strategies The Fund is non-diversified for purposes of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“1940 Act”), and as a result may invest a greater percentage of its assets in a particular issuer than a diversified fund. Through the underlying funds, which are diversified funds, the Fund indirectly owns a broad mix of equity securities (stocks) and fixed income securities (bonds).
Risk [Heading]	rr_RiskHeading	Principal Risks
Risk Narrative [Text Block]	rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock	All mutual funds carry risk. Accordingly, loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund. Because the Fund invests its assets in shares of underlying funds, the Fund indirectly owns the investments made by the underlying funds. By investing in the Fund, therefore, you indirectly assume the same types of risks as investing directly in the underlying funds. The Fund's investment performance is affected by each underlying fund's investment performance, and the Fund's ability to achieve its investment objective depends, in large part, on each underlying fund's ability to meet its investment objective. The following risks reflect the Fund's principal risks, which include the underlying funds' principal risks. Market Risk. The value of portfolio investments may decline. As a result, your investment in a fund may decline in value and you could lose money. Asset Allocation Risk. With an asset allocation strategy, the amount invested in various asset classes of securities may change over time. Asset allocation risk could result in an allocation to an underperforming asset class. Growth Stocks Risk. Growth stocks, due to their relatively high market valuations, typically have been more volatile than value stocks. Growth stocks may not pay dividends, or may pay lower dividends, than value stocks and may be more adversely affected in a down market. Value Stocks Risk. Value stocks tend to be inexpensive relative to their earnings or assets compared to other types of stocks, such as growth stocks. Value stocks can continue to be inexpensive for long periods of time, may not ever realize their potential value, and may even go down in price. Small and Medium-Cap Companies Risk. The value of securities issued by small and medium-sized companies may be subject to more abrupt market movements and may involve greater risks than investments in larger companies. These less developed, lesser-known companies may experience greater risks than those normally associated with larger companies. Interest Rate Risk. When interest rates rise, fixed income securities (i.e., debt obligations) generally will decline in value. These declines in value are greater for fixed income securities with longer maturities or durations. Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the issuer of a debt obligation will be unable or unwilling to make interest or principal payments on time. Credit risk is often gauged by “credit ratings” assigned by nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (“NRSROs”). A decrease in an issuer’s credit rating may cause a decline in the value of the issuer’s debt obligations. However, credit ratings may not reflect the issuer’s current financial condition or events since the security was last rated by a rating agency. Credit ratings also may be influenced by rating agency conflicts of interest or based on historical data that are no longer applicable or accurate. Prepayment/Call Risk. Debt securities are subject to prepayment risk when the issuer can “call” the security, or repay principal, in whole or in part, prior to the security’s maturity. When the Fund reinvests the prepayments of principal it receives, it may receive a rate of interest that is lower than the rate on the called security. Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk. The value of mortgage-backed securities (commercial and residential) may fluctuate significantly in response to changes in interest rates. During periods of falling interest rates, underlying mortgages may be paid early, lowering the potential total return (pre-payment risk). During periods of rising interest rates, the rate at which the underlying mortgages are pre-paid may slow unexpectedly, causing the maturity of the mortgage-backed securities to increase and their value to decline (maturity extension risk). Below Investment Grade Bond Risk. Below investment grade bonds, otherwise known as “high yield” bonds (“junk” bonds), generally have a greater risk of principal loss than investment grade bonds. Below investment grade bonds are often considered speculative and involve significantly higher credit risk and liquidity risk. The value of these bonds may fluctuate more than the value of higher-rated debt obligations, and may decline significantly in periods of general economic difficulty or periods of rising interest rates and may be subject to negative perceptions of the junk bond markets generally and less secondary market liquidity. U.S. Treasury Risk. Securities backed by the U.S. Treasury or the full faith and credit of the U.S. government are guaranteed only as to the timely payment of interest and principal when held to maturity. Accordingly, the current market values for these securities will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Foreign Investments Risk. Foreign investments have additional risks that are not present when investing in U.S. investments. Foreign currency fluctuations or economic or financial instability could cause the value of foreign investments to fluctuate. Additionally, foreign investments include the risk of loss from foreign government or political actions including; for example, the imposition of exchange controls, confiscations and other government restrictions, or from problems in registration, settlement or custody. Investing in foreign investments may involve risks resulting from the reduced availability of public information concerning issuers. Foreign investments may be less liquid and their prices more volatile than comparable investments in U.S. issuers. Emerging Markets Risk. Companies located in emerging markets tend to be less liquid, have more volatile prices, and have significant potential for loss in comparison to investments in developed markets. Foreign Currency Risk. Foreign currency risk is the risk that the U.S. dollar value of foreign investments may be negatively affected by changes in foreign (non-U.S.) currency rates. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time. In addition, currency management strategies may substantially change the Fund’s exposure to currency exchange rates and could negatively affect the value of the Fund’s foreign investments, if currencies do not perform as expected. Currency management strategies also may reduce the Fund’s ability to benefit from favorable changes in currency exchange rates. Currency Management Strategy Risk. Currency management strategies, including cross-hedging, may substantially change exposure to currency exchange rates and could result in losses if currencies do not perform as expected. In addition, currency management strategies, to the extent that they reduce exposure to currency risks, also may reduce the ability to benefit from favorable changes in currency exchange rates. Furthermore, there may not be perfect correlation between the amount of exposure to a particular currency and the amount of securities in the portfolio denominated in that currency. Currency rates may also fluctuate significantly, reducing returns. Regional Risk. The Fund will generally have more exposure to the specific market, currency, economic, political, regulatory, geopolitical, or other risks in the regions or countries in which it invests. As a result, the Fund could experience substantial illiquidity, volatility or reduction in the value of its investments, as compared to a more geographically-diversified fund. Derivatives Risk. Derivatives, such as futures, forwards, options and swaps, involve risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. Derivatives prices can be volatile and may move in unexpected ways, especially in unusual market conditions. Some derivatives are particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates. In addition, there may be imperfect correlation between the price of the derivatives contract and the price of the underlying securities. Other risks include the potential inability to terminate or sell derivative positions. Further, losses could result if the counterparty to a transaction does not perform as promised. Derivative instruments may be “leveraged”, which may magnify or otherwise increase investment losses. Risk Management Strategy Risk. The success of the Fund’s risk management strategy depends in part on the overlay manager’s ability to effectively and efficiently implement its risk forecasts and to manage the strategy for the Fund’s benefit. The risk management strategy may depend upon one or more of the overlay manager’s proprietary forecasting models and information and data from one or more third parties to support the proprietary forecasting models. There is no guarantee that the models or the data the models are based on will be accurate or that the Fund can achieve or maintain optimal risk targets. The Fund’s performance may be negatively impacted in certain underlying markets as a result of reliance on these models. The Fund’s performance may also be impacted by the Fund’s use of short futures positions to implement the risk management strategy. Certain markets could negatively impact the success of the risk management strategy, such as rapidly and unpredictably changing markets, “v-shaped” markets (a sharp market sell-off followed by a strong rally retracing such sell-off), or other extreme or disrupted markets, each of which could cause the Fund to be invested in the market when it declines or to be uninvested when the market appreciates. Futures Risk. A futures contract is considered a derivative because it derives its value from the price of the underlying security or financial index. The prices of futures contracts can be volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. In addition, there may be imperfect or even negative correlation between the price of the futures contracts and the price of the underlying securities. Losses on futures contracts may exceed the amount invested. Hedging Risk. The success of a hedging strategy cannot be guaranteed. Effective hedging requires correctly assessing the degree of correlation between the performance of the instruments used in the hedging strategy and the performance of the investments in the portfolio being hedged, as well as continual recalculation, readjustment, and execution of hedges in an efficient and timely manner. For example, futures contract short positions may not provide an effective hedge because changes in futures contract prices may not track those of the underlying securities or indices they are intended to hedge. Non-Diversification Risk. When a mutual fund is non-diversified, it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in a particular issuer than a diversified fund. Therefore, a fund’s value may decrease because of a single investment or a small number of investments. Depository Receipts Risk. Depository receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company and evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depository Receipts (ADRs). Depository receipts are subject to the risks usually associated with foreign securities, including risks associated with investing in the particular country, including the political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events occurring in the country, as well as fluctuations in its currency. In addition, ADR holders may not have all the legal rights of shareholders and may experience difficulty in receiving shareholder communications.
Risk Lose Money [Text]	rr_RiskLoseMoney	All mutual funds carry risk. Accordingly, loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund.
Risk Nondiversified Status [Text]	rr_RiskNondiversifiedStatus	Non-Diversification Risk. When a mutual fund is non-diversified, it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in a particular issuer than a diversified fund. Therefore, a fund’s value may decrease because of a single investment or a small number of investments.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]	rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading	Fund Performance
Performance Narrative [Text Block]	rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock	The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of choosing to invest in the Fund. The information shows: (a) how the Fund's Standard Class investment results have varied from year to year; and (b) how the average annual total returns of the Fund's Standard and Service Classes for various periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The bar chart shows performance of the Fund's Standard Class shares, but does not reflect the impact of variable contract expenses. If it did, returns would be lower than those shown. Performance in the average annual returns table does not reflect the impact of variable contract expenses. The Fund's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]	rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns	The information shows: (a) how the Fund's Standard Class investment results have varied from year to year; and (b) how the average annual total returns of the Fund's Standard and Service Classes for various periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance.
Performance Additional Market Index [Text]	rr_PerformanceAdditionalMarketIndex	The Growth Blended Composite, an unmanaged index compiled by the Fund’s adviser, is constructed as follows: 46% Wilshire 5000 Total Market IndexSM, 30% Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, 20% MSCI EAFE® NR Index and 4% MSCI Emerging Markets NR Index. The performance of the Growth Blended Composite does not reflect the impact of the risk management strategy used by the Fund. Such strategy would impact the returns shown.
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]	rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture	The Fund's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading]	rr_BarChartHeading	Annual Total Returns (%)
Bar Chart Does Not Reflect Sales Loads [Text]	rr_BarChartDoesNotReflectSalesLoads	The bar chart shows performance of the Fund's Standard Class shares, but does not reflect the impact of variable contract expenses. If it did, returns would be lower than those shown.
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]	rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock	During the periods shown in the above chart, the Fund’s highest return for a quarter occurred in the fourth quarter of 2013 at: 6.21%. The Fund’s lowest return for a quarter occurred in the third quarter of 2015 at: (5.94%).
Performance Table Heading	rr_PerformanceTableHeading	Average Annual Total Returns For periods ended 12/31/16
LVIP American Global Growth Allocation Managed Risk Fund | Standard Class
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Management Fee	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.25%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	none
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.05%	[1]
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (AFFE)	rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets	0.40%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	0.70%	[2],[3]
1 year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	$ 71
3 years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	223
5 years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	388
10 years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	867
1 year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	71
3 years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	223
5 years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	388
10 years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	$ 867
2013	rr_AnnualReturn2013	17.49%
2014	rr_AnnualReturn2014	2.56%
2015	rr_AnnualReturn2015	(3.16%)
2016	rr_AnnualReturn2016	3.31%
Highest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel	highest return
Highest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate	Dec. 31, 2013
Highest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn	6.21%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel	lowest return
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate	Sep. 30, 2015
Lowest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn	(5.94%)
1 year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	3.31%
Lifetime Since inception	rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception	4.75%
Inception Date	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Mar. 16, 2012
LVIP American Global Growth Allocation Managed Risk Fund | Service Class
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Management Fee	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.25%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	0.35%
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.05%	[1]
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (AFFE)	rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets	0.40%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.05%	[2],[3]
1 year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	$ 107
3 years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	333
5 years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	578
10 years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	1,280
1 year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	107
3 years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	333
5 years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	578
10 years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	$ 1,280
1 year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	2.94%
Lifetime Since inception	rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception	4.39%
Inception Date	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Mar. 16, 2012
LVIP American Global Growth Allocation Managed Risk Fund | Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index℠ (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	13.37%
Lifetime Since inception	rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception	12.61%
Inception Date	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Mar. 16, 2012
LVIP American Global Growth Allocation Managed Risk Fund | Growth Blended Composite (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	7.69%	[4]
Lifetime Since inception	rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception	7.42%	[4]
Inception Date	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Mar. 16, 2012	[4]

[1] Other Expenses were restated to reflect the current fee structure of the fund.

[2] (including AFFE)

[3] The Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses do not correlate to the ratio of expenses to the average net assets appearing in the Financial Highlights table which reflects only the operating expenses of the Fund and does not include AFFE.

[4] The Growth Blended Composite, an unmanaged index compiled by the Fund’s adviser, is constructed as follows: 46% Wilshire 5000 Total Market IndexSM, 30% Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, 20% MSCI EAFE® NR Index and 4% MSCI Emerging Markets NR Index. The performance of the Growth Blended Composite does not reflect the impact of the risk management strategy used by the Fund. Such strategy would impact the returns shown.