Segment and Geographic Data (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 29, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Oct. 01, 2011	Jul. 02, 2011	Apr. 02, 2011	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of reporting segments	5								5
Product sales									$ 2,222,966	$ 2,587,396	$ 2,719,311
Royalty revenues									7,131	6,633	5,781
Total revenue	530,570	572,781	588,199	538,547	551,391	637,649	709,838	695,151	2,230,097	2,594,029	2,725,092
Gross Margin	108,791	133,554	147,619	136,709	125,656	167,477	212,190	214,663	526,673	719,986	807,485
Depreciation expense									153,801	165,022	169,724
Interest expense (income)									22,604	19,277	11,036
Capital expenditures									150,291	168,641	145,413
Total Assets	3,016,277				2,993,730				3,016,277	2,993,730	2,966,093
Income (loss) from continuing operations before taxes									170,037	331,116	405,533
Net earnings attributable to Vishay stockholders	20,975	22,280	45,671	33,812	30,952	50,487	82,095	75,287	122,738	238,821	359,106
Diluted earnings per share attributable to Vishay stockholders (in dollars per share)	$ 0.14	$ 0.15	$ 0.29	$ 0.21	$ 0.19	$ 0.31	$ 0.48	$ 0.43	$ 0.79	$ 1.42	$ 1.89
Operating margin reconciliation [Abstract]
Gain on Sale of Property	0	0	12,153	0	0	0	0	0	12,153	0	0
Executive employment agreement charge	0	0	0	0	0	1,873	3,889	0	0	(5,762)	0
Operating Income	21,514	44,459	72,883	50,345	33,565	75,333	115,505	122,198	189,201	346,601	417,938
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Net revenues	530,570	572,781	588,199	538,547	551,391	637,649	709,838	695,151	2,230,097	2,594,029	2,725,092
Property and equipment, net	914,552				907,905				914,552	907,905
Segment Reporting Information, Description of Products and Services									The Company evaluates business segment performance on operating income, exclusive of certain items ("segment operating income"). Only dedicated, direct selling, general, and administrative expenses of the segments are included in the calculation of segment operating income. The Company's calculation of segment operating income excludes such selling, general, and administrative costs as global operations, sales and marketing, information systems, finance and administration groups, as well as restructuring and severance costs, asset write-downs, goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible asset impairments, inventory write-downs, gains or losses on purchase commitments, and other items. Management believes that evaluating segment performance excluding such items is meaningful because it provides insight with respect to intrinsic operating results of the Company. These items represent reconciling items between segment operating income and consolidated operating income. Business segment assets are the owned or allocated assets used by each business.
Segment Reporting, Change in Measurement Methods									Following the completion of the spin-off of VPG in the third fiscal quarter of 2010, Vishay operates, and its chief operating decision maker makes strategic and operating decisions with regards to assessing performance and allocating resources based on, five reporting segments: MOSFETs, Diodes, Optoelectronic Components, Resistors & Inductors, and Capacitors.
Discussion on inclusion of VPG's Share in Results of Operations and Cash Flows prior to spin-off									Until July 6, 2010, VPG was part of Vishay and its assets, liabilities, results of operations, and cash flows are included in the amounts reported in these consolidated financial statements for periods prior to the completion of the spin-off.
United States [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue									568,849	363,847	345,267
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Net revenues									568,849	363,847	345,267
Property and equipment, net	133,812				136,159				133,812	136,159
Germany [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue									775,204	801,539	726,235
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Net revenues									775,204	801,539	726,235
Property and equipment, net	121,957				125,905				121,957	125,905
Czech Republic [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Property and equipment, net	51,620				53,126				51,620	53,126
Other Europe [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue									61,236	175,639	217,099
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Net revenues									61,236	175,639	217,099
Property and equipment, net	98,534				97,212				98,534	97,212
Israel [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue									14,708	219,037	292,025
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Net revenues									14,708	219,037	292,025
Property and equipment, net	140,994				125,885				140,994	125,885
Asia [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue									810,100	1,033,967	1,144,466
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Net revenues									810,100	1,033,967	1,144,466
People's Republic of China [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Property and equipment, net	169,395				178,877				169,395	178,877
Republic of China (Taiwan) [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Property and equipment, net	116,315				117,450				116,315	117,450
Other Asia [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Property and equipment, net	80,304				71,677				80,304	71,677
Other Geographic Area [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Property and equipment, net	1,621				1,614				1,621	1,614
MOSFETS Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Product sales									433,436	537,783	626,498
Royalty revenues									246	197	200
Total revenue									433,682	537,980	626,698
Gross Margin									56,694	125,498	189,209
Depreciation expense									49,124	53,808	51,865
Interest expense (income)									0	12	0
Capital expenditures									49,201	61,520	55,457
Total Assets	625,597				646,660				625,597	646,660	745,641
Operating margin reconciliation [Abstract]
Operating Income									17,198	85,336	152,794
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Net revenues									433,682	537,980	626,698
Diodes Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Product sales									496,744	607,493	596,354
Royalty revenues									0	0	0
Total revenue									496,744	607,493	596,354
Gross Margin									99,116	143,876	138,308
Depreciation expense									36,335	39,577	39,035
Interest expense (income)									64	0	0
Capital expenditures									30,025	39,444	30,879
Total Assets	670,811				682,017				670,811	682,017	685,490
Operating margin reconciliation [Abstract]
Operating Income									75,733	118,111	115,168
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Net revenues									496,744	607,493	596,354
Optoelectronic Components Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Product sales									209,141	229,814	226,402
Royalty revenues									53	72	96
Total revenue									209,194	229,886	226,498
Gross Margin									67,943	74,772	75,804
Depreciation expense									11,917	12,384	12,282
Interest expense (income)									140	0	0
Capital expenditures									16,759	15,442	13,066
Total Assets	199,385				163,486				199,385	163,486	163,584
Operating margin reconciliation [Abstract]
Operating Income									54,632	60,492	64,088
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Net revenues									209,194	229,886	226,498
Resistors And Inductors Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Product sales									635,488	634,490	622,819
Royalty revenues									6,832	6,364	5,485
Total revenue									642,320	640,854	628,304
Gross Margin									204,137	213,997	222,785
Depreciation expense									31,921	32,039	30,142
Interest expense (income)									543	223	933
Capital expenditures									35,878	28,751	27,874
Total Assets	760,257				609,556				760,257	609,556	602,466
Operating margin reconciliation [Abstract]
Operating Income									172,129	185,327	195,730
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Net revenues									642,320	640,854	628,304
Capacitors Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Product sales									448,157	577,816	546,149
Royalty revenues									0	0	0
Total revenue									448,157	577,816	546,149
Gross Margin									98,783	161,843	144,349
Depreciation expense									23,354	25,979	31,551
Interest expense (income)									52	223	762
Capital expenditures									15,531	19,676	17,132
Total Assets	587,586				672,049				587,586	672,049	652,742
Operating margin reconciliation [Abstract]
Operating Income									76,858	136,901	121,714
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Net revenues									448,157	577,816	546,149
Vishay Precision Group Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Product sales									0	0	101,089
Royalty revenues									0	0	0
Total revenue									0	0	101,089
Gross Margin									0	0	37,030
Depreciation expense									0	0	3,391
Interest expense (income)									0	0	33
Capital expenditures									0	0	918
Total Assets	0				0				0	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations before taxes											9,716
Net earnings attributable to Vishay stockholders											5,811
Diluted earnings per share attributable to Vishay stockholders (in dollars per share)											$ 0.03
Operating margin reconciliation [Abstract]
Operating Income									0	0	18,949
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Net revenues									0	0	101,089
Corporate Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Product sales									0	0	0
Royalty revenues									0	0	0
Total revenue									0	0	0
Gross Margin									0	0	0
Depreciation expense									1,150	1,235	1,458
Interest expense (income)									21,805	18,819	9,308
Capital expenditures									2,897	3,808	87
Total Assets	172,641				219,962				172,641	219,962	116,170
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Net revenues									0	0	0
Unallocated Selling, General, and Administrative Expenses [Member]
Operating margin reconciliation [Abstract]
Operating Income									$ (219,502)	$ (233,804)	$ (250,505)