Financial Risk Factors and Risk Management - Credit Risk Exposure from Trade Receivables and Contract Assets (Details) - Trade receivables and contract assets - EUR (€) € in Millions	Dec. 31, 2018	Jan. 01, 2018
Aging of Trade Receivables
Allowance account for credit losses of financial assets	€ (107)	€ (99)
Credit Risk
Aging of Trade Receivables
Weighted-Average Loss Rate	(1.70%)
Gross Carrying Amount Not Credit-Impaired	€ 6,146
Gross Carrying Amount Credit-Impaired	148
Allowance account for credit losses of financial assets	€ (107)
Credit Risk \| Current
Aging of Trade Receivables
Weighted-Average Loss Rate	(0.30%)
Gross Carrying Amount Not Credit-Impaired	€ 4,288
Gross Carrying Amount Credit-Impaired	0
Allowance account for credit losses of financial assets	€ (13)
Credit Risk \| Past due 1 to 30 days
Aging of Trade Receivables
Weighted-Average Loss Rate	(0.30%)
Gross Carrying Amount Not Credit-Impaired	€ 749
Gross Carrying Amount Credit-Impaired	15
Allowance account for credit losses of financial assets	€ (2)
Credit Risk \| Overdue 30 to 90 days
Aging of Trade Receivables
Weighted-Average Loss Rate	(0.50%)
Gross Carrying Amount Not Credit-Impaired	€ 551
Gross Carrying Amount Credit-Impaired	8
Allowance account for credit losses of financial assets	€ (3)
Credit Risk \| Overdue more than 90 days
Aging of Trade Receivables
Weighted-Average Loss Rate	(13.00%)
Gross Carrying Amount Not Credit-Impaired	€ 558
Gross Carrying Amount Credit-Impaired	125
Allowance account for credit losses of financial assets	€ (89)

The amount of an allowance account used to record impairments to financial assets due to credit losses. [Refer: Financial assets]

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Note Expiry date 2021-01-01
-Name IFRS
-Number 7
-IssueDate 2018-01-01
-Paragraph 16
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IFRS&num=7&date=2017-03-02&anchor=para_16&doctype=Standard&book=b
-URIDate 2018-03-16

+ Details

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

- Definition

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.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

The rate of expected credit losses, calculated as percentage of the gross carrying amount. Expected credit losses are the weighted average of credit losses with the respective risks of a default occurring as the weights.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Name IFRS
-Number 7
-IssueDate 2018-01-01
-Paragraph IG20D
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IFRS&num=7&date=2018-03-01&anchor=para_IG20D&doctype=Implementation%20Guidance
-URIDate 2018-03-16

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Name IFRS
-Number 7
-IssueDate 2018-01-01
-Paragraph 35N
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IFRS&num=7&date=2018-03-01&anchor=para_35N&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2018-03-16

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_ExpectedCreditLossRate
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The gross amount of assets credit impaired.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sap_GrossCarryingAmountCreditImpaired
Namespace Prefix:	sap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The gross amount of assets not credit impaired.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sap_GrossCarryingAmountNotCreditImpaired
Namespace Prefix:	sap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

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

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_TypesOfRisksAxis=ifrs-full_CreditRiskMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_PastDueStatusAxis=ifrs-full_CurrentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_PastDueStatusAxis=ifrs-full_LaterThanOneMonthAndNotLaterThanTwoMonthsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_PastDueStatusAxis=sap_PastDueThirtyDaysAndNotLaterNinetyDaysMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_PastDueStatusAxis=sap_PastDueOverNinetyDaysMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: