Unaudited Selected Quarterly Results of Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Quarterly Financial Data [Abstract]
Revenue	$ 173,207	$ 182,146	$ 175,475	$ 170,018	$ 170,111	$ 162,887	$ 158,212	$ 156,609	$ 700,846	$ 647,819	$ 590,232
Cost of services and product sale	125,694	128,179	123,773	119,318	119,942	118,361	113,635	113,021
Other operating expenses	29,535	19,088	18,253	18,384	17,764	17,857	17,222	20,049
OPERATING INCOME	17,978	34,879	33,449	32,316	32,405	26,669	27,355	23,539	118,622	109,968	87,451
Interest expense	3,634	3,278	3,296	3,120	2,717	2,707	2,692	2,618	13,328	10,734	11,572
Income before income tax expense	14,344	31,601	30,153	29,196	29,688	23,962	24,663	20,921	105,294	99,234	75,879
Income tax expense	5,750	9,404	5,020	5,273	8,016	3,595	3,709	2,929	25,447	18,249	10,855
Income from continuing operations	8,594	22,197	25,133	23,923	21,672	20,367	20,954	17,992	79,847	80,985	65,024
Income (loss) from discontinued operations	408	208	(328)	(346)	(20)	686	1,755	(310)	(58)	2,111	(1,165)
Net income	9,002	22,405	24,805	23,577	21,652	21,053	22,709	17,682	79,789	83,096	63,859
Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest	167	(7)	53	50	(39)	(33)	19	24	263	(29)	(36)
Net income attributable to Core Laboratories N.V.	$ 8,835	$ 22,412	$ 24,752	$ 23,527	$ 21,691	$ 21,086	$ 22,690	$ 17,658	$ 79,526	$ 83,125	$ 63,895
Basic earnings per share attributable to Core Laboratories N.V. (in dollar per share)	$ 0.20	$ 0.51	$ 0.56	$ 0.53	$ 0.49	$ 0.48	$ 0.51	$ 0.40	$ 1.80	$ 1.88	$ 1.47
Diluted earnings per share attributable to Core Laboratories N.V. (in dollar per share)	$ 0.20	$ 0.50	$ 0.56	$ 0.53	$ 0.49	$ 0.48	$ 0.51	$ 0.40	$ 1.79	$ 1.88	$ 1.46
Basic (in shares)	44,226	44,216	44,203	44,179	44,147	44,141	44,164	44,159	44,206	44,153	43,479
Diluted (in shares)	44,401	44,591	44,493	44,463	44,276	44,332	44,374	44,347	44,474	44,264	43,670
Stock-based compensation	$ 9,900								$ 34,194	$ 22,942	$ 22,079