Fair Value Disclosures on Financial Instruments - Valuation Techniques and Inputs (Details) € in Millions	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017 EUR (€)	Dec. 31, 2016 EUR (€)
AFS \| Marketable equity investments
Transfers Between Levels 1 and 2
Transfers of available-for-sale equity investments from Level 2 to Level 1	€ 360	€ 17
Unlisted equity investments \| Fair Value - Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis \| Lowest
Valuation Techniques and Inputs
Revenue multiple	3.4
Discount for lack of marketability	10.00%
Unlisted equity investments \| Fair Value - Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis \| Highest
Valuation Techniques and Inputs
Revenue multiple	7.8
Discount for lack of marketability	20.00%

Line items represent concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes of the table.

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

A revenue multiple used as a significant Level 3 unobservable input for assets. [Refer: Level 3 of fair value hierarchy [member]]

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Name IFRS
-Number 13
-IssueDate 2017-01-01
-Paragraph IE63
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IFRS&num=13&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_IE63&doctype=Illustrative%20Examples
-URIDate 2017-03-09

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Name IFRS
-Number 13
-IssueDate 2017-01-01
-Paragraph 93
-Subparagraph d
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IFRS&num=13&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_93_d&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2017-03-09

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_RevenueMultipleSignificantUnobservableInputsAssets
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:pureItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of transfers out of Level 2 and into Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy of assets held at the end of the reporting period. [Refer: Level 1 of fair value hierarchy [member]; Level 2 of fair value hierarchy [member]]

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IFRS
-Number 13
-IssueDate 2017-01-01
-Paragraph 93
-Subparagraph c
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IFRS&num=13&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_93_c&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2017-03-09

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_TransfersOutOfLevel2IntoLevel1OfFairValueHierarchyAssets
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of discount for lack of marketability used as a significant Level 3 unobservable input for assets.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sap_DiscountForLackOfMarketabilitySignificantUnobservableInputsAssets
Namespace Prefix:	sap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sap_TransfersBetweenLevelOfFairValueHierarchyAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	sap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_CategoriesOfFinancialAssetsAxis=ifrs-full_FinancialAssetsAvailableforsaleCategoryMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_ClassesOfFinancialAssetsAxis=ifrs-full_EquityInvestmentsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_ClassesOfAssetsAxis=sap_UnlistedEquityInvestmentsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_MeasurementAxis=ifrs-full_RecurringFairValueMeasurementMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_RangeAxis=ifrs-full_BottomOfRangeMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_RangeAxis=ifrs-full_TopOfRangeMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: