Long-Term Debt (Details) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) $ / shares	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Jun. 08, 2018 $ / shares	Apr. 02, 2016 USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	$ 494,509	$ 370,470
Credit facility	0	150,000
Deferred Financing Costs	(14,968)	(9,101)
Less current portion	0	0
Long-term debt, less current portion	494,509	370,470
Debt Instruments [Abstract]
Stock price per share (in dollars per share) | $ / shares					$ 24.70
Purchase price of extinguished debt	376,004			$ 584,991
Allocated liability component of repurchased debt	108,059			133,647
Allocated equity component of repurchased debt	267,945			451,344
Interest expense related to debentures [Abstract]
Non-cash amortization of debt discount	10,769	4,984	$ 4,610
Principal payments on long-term debt and capital leases	0	0	(34,044)
Committed and uncommitted short-term credit lines	7,000	15,000
Aggregate annual maturities of long-term debt [Abstract]
2019	0
2020	0
2021	0
2022	0
2023	0
Thereafter	636,556
Interest paid	23,859	21,216	19,316
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity	$ 640,000
Expiration date	Dec. 10, 2020
Maximum incremental revolving commitments	$ 50,000
Interest rate description	Borrowings under the Credit Facility bear interest at LIBOR plus an interest margin. The applicable interest margin is based on Vishay's leverage ratio. Based on Vishay's current leverage ratio, borrowings bear interest at LIBOR plus 1.50%. Vishay also pays a fee, also based on its leverage ratio, on undrawn amounts. The undrawn commitment fee, based on Vishay’s current leverage ratio, is 0.30% per annum.
Basis spread on variable rate (in hundredths)	1.50%
Commitment fees (in hundredths)	0.30%
Covenant terms	The Credit Facility allows an unlimited amount of defined “Restricted Payments,” which include cash dividends and share repurchases, provided the Company’s pro forma leverage ratio is less than 2.25 to 1. If the Company’s leverage ratio is greater than 2.25 to 1, the Credit Facility allows such payments up to $75,000 per annum (subject to a cap of $225,000 for the term of the facility).
Line of Credit Facility, Covenant Compliance	The Credit Facility also contains customary events of default, including, but not limited to, failure to pay principal or interest, failure to pay or default under other material debt, material misrepresentation or breach of warranty, violation of certain covenants, a change of control, the commencement of bankruptcy proceedings, the insolvency of Vishay or certain of its significant subsidiaries, and the rendering of a judgment in excess of $25,000 against Vishay or certain of its significant subsidiaries. Upon the occurrence of an event of default under the Credit Facility, the Company's obligations under the credit facility may be accelerated and the lending commitments under the credit facility terminated.
Available borrowing capacity	$ 636,211	486,211
Letters of credit outstanding	3,789	3,789
Credit facility accelerated repayment minimum judgement	25,000
Exchangeable Unsecured Notes, Due 2102 [Member]
Debt Instruments [Abstract]
Principal amount of repurchased debt						$ 38,642
Interest expense related to debentures [Abstract]
Principal amount of repurchased debt						$ 38,642
Principal payments on long-term debt and capital leases			34,045
Convertible Senior Debentures, Due 2040 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Convertible Debt, Noncurrent	$ 539	110,412
Debt Instruments [Abstract]
Convertible senior debentures issuance date	Nov. 09, 2010
Debt maturity date	Nov. 15, 2040
Cash coupon rate	2.25%
Nonconvertible debt borrowing rate at issuance	8.00%
Effective conversion rate	78.3806
Effective conversion price (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 12.76
130% of the conversion price | $ / shares	$ 16.59
Convertible senior debentures call date	Nov. 20, 2020
Debt instrument percentage of conversion price (in hundredths)	130.00%
Debt instrument, Percentage of sale price of common stock (in hundredths)	98.00%
Principal amount of repurchased debt	$ 53,690			220,000
Net carrying value of repurchased debt	22,018			89,276
Liability and equity components of convertible debentures [Abstract]
Principal amount of the debentures	1,310	275,000
Unamortized discount	(772)	(164,794)
Embedded derivative	1	206
Carrying value of liability component	539	110,412
Equity component - net carrying value	528	110,094
Interest expense related to debentures [Abstract]
Contractual coupon interest	3,150	6,188	6,188
Non-cash amortization of debt discount	1,340	2,479	2,292
Non-cash amortization of deferred financing costs	45	88	88
Non-cash change in value of derivative liability	81	(187)	(183)
Total interest expense related to the debentures	4,616	8,568	8,385
Principal amount of repurchased debt	$ 53,690			220,000
Debt instrument percentage of conversion price (in hundredths)	130.00%
Convertible Senior Debentures, Due 2041 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Convertible Debt, Noncurrent	$ 12,812	56,641
Debt Instruments [Abstract]
Convertible senior debentures issuance date	May 13, 2011
Debt maturity date	May 15, 2041
Cash coupon rate	2.25%
Nonconvertible debt borrowing rate at issuance	8.375%
Effective conversion rate	57.1981
Effective conversion price (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 17.48
130% of the conversion price | $ / shares	$ 22.72
Convertible senior debentures call date	May 20, 2021
Debt instrument percentage of conversion price (in hundredths)	130.00%
Debt instrument, Percentage of sale price of common stock (in hundredths)	98.00%
Principal amount of repurchased debt	$ 116,922
Net carrying value of repurchased debt	45,157
Liability and equity components of convertible debentures [Abstract]
Principal amount of the debentures	33,078	150,000
Unamortized discount	(20,333)	(93,573)
Embedded derivative	67	214
Carrying value of liability component	12,812	56,641
Equity component - net carrying value	13,725	62,246
Interest expense related to debentures [Abstract]
Contractual coupon interest	3,156	3,375	3,375
Non-cash amortization of debt discount	1,285	1,270	1,171
Non-cash amortization of deferred financing costs	45	47	47
Non-cash change in value of derivative liability	43	(71)	(153)
Total interest expense related to the debentures	4,529	4,621	4,440
Principal amount of repurchased debt	$ 116,922
Debt instrument percentage of conversion price (in hundredths)	130.00%
Convertible Senior Debentures 2042 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Convertible Debt, Noncurrent	$ 923	62,518
Debt Instruments [Abstract]
Convertible senior debentures issuance date	May 31, 2012
Debt maturity date	Jun. 01, 2042
Cash coupon rate	2.25%
Nonconvertible debt borrowing rate at issuance	7.50%
Effective conversion rate	92.1569
Effective conversion price (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 10.85
130% of the conversion price | $ / shares	$ 14.11
Convertible senior debentures call date	Jun. 07, 2022
Debt instrument percentage of conversion price (in hundredths)	130.00%
Debt instrument, Percentage of sale price of common stock (in hundredths)	98.00%
Principal amount of repurchased debt	$ 78,772			69,060
Net carrying value of repurchased debt	33,466			29,037
Liability and equity components of convertible debentures [Abstract]
Principal amount of the debentures	2,168	150,000
Unamortized discount	(1,247)	(87,600)
Embedded derivative	2	118
Carrying value of liability component	923	62,518
Equity component - net carrying value	839	57,874
Interest expense related to debentures [Abstract]
Contractual coupon interest	2,321	3,375	3,375
Non-cash amortization of debt discount	904	1,235	1,147
Non-cash amortization of deferred financing costs	36	54	54
Non-cash change in value of derivative liability	4	(58)	(126)
Total interest expense related to the debentures	3,265	4,606	4,450
Principal amount of repurchased debt	$ 78,772			$ 69,060
Debt instrument percentage of conversion price (in hundredths)	130.00%
Convertible Senior Notes, Due 2025 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Convertible Debt, Noncurrent	$ 495,203	0
Debt Instruments [Abstract]
Convertible senior debentures issuance date	Jun. 30, 2018
Debt maturity date	Jun. 15, 2025
Cash coupon rate	2.25%
Nonconvertible debt borrowing rate at issuance	5.50%
Effective conversion rate	31.7536
Effective conversion price (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 31.49
130% of the conversion price | $ / shares	$ 40.94
Liability and equity components of convertible debentures [Abstract]
Principal amount of the debentures	$ 600,000
Unamortized discount	(104,797)
Carrying value of liability component	495,203
Equity component - net carrying value	85,262
Interest expense related to debentures [Abstract]
Contractual coupon interest	7,463
Non-cash amortization of debt discount	7,240
Non-cash amortization of deferred financing costs	1,059
Total interest expense related to the debentures	15,762
Convertible senior debentures [Member]
Liability and equity components of convertible debentures [Abstract]
Principal amount of the debentures	36,556	575,000
Unamortized discount	(22,352)	(345,967)
Embedded derivative	70	538
Carrying value of liability component	14,274	229,571
Equity component - net carrying value	15,092	230,214
Interest expense related to debentures [Abstract]
Contractual coupon interest	8,627	12,938	12,938
Non-cash amortization of debt discount	3,529	4,984	4,610
Non-cash amortization of deferred financing costs	126	189	189
Non-cash change in value of derivative liability	128	(316)	(462)
Total interest expense related to the debentures	$ 12,410	$ 17,795	$ 17,275