Summary of Quarterly Financial Information (Unaudited) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands		1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended
		Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2019		Sep. 28, 2019		Jun. 29, 2019		Mar. 30, 2019		Dec. 31, 2018		Sep. 29, 2018		Jun. 30, 2018		Mar. 31, 2018		Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Statement of Operations data [Abstract]
Net revenues			$ 609,577		$ 628,329		$ 685,240		$ 745,159		$ 775,892		$ 780,972		$ 761,030		$ 716,795		$ 2,668,305	$ 3,034,689	$ 2,599,368
Gross profit			135,361		150,079		174,601		211,159		219,690		236,296		227,238		205,300		671,200	888,524	703,109
Operating income			24,178		51,028		79,489		107,735		119,667		138,098		123,293		104,062		262,430	485,120	324,005
Net earnings			14,149		30,265		44,735		75,641		102,659		78,071		103,262		62,545		164,790	346,537	(19,560)
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests			187		227		258		182		240		195		165		179		854	779	784
Net earnings attributable to Vishay stockholders			$ 13,962		$ 30,038		$ 44,477		$ 75,459		$ 102,419		$ 77,876		$ 103,097		$ 62,366		$ 163,936	$ 345,758	$ (20,344)
Per Share data [Abstract]
Basic earnings per share attributable to Vishay stockholders (in dollars per share)			$ 0.10	[1]	$ 0.21	[1]	$ 0.31	[1]	$ 0.52	[1]	$ 0.71	[1]	$ 0.54	[1]	$ 0.71	[1]	$ 0.43	[1]	$ 1.13	$ 2.39	$ (0.14)
Diluted earnings per share attributable to Vishay stockholders (in dollars per share)			$ 0.10	[1]	$ 0.21	[1]	$ 0.31	[1]	$ 0.52	[1]	$ 0.69	[1]	$ 0.51	[1]	$ 0.65	[1]	$ 0.39	[1]	$ 1.13	$ 2.24	$ (0.14)
Operating income [Abstract]
Restructuring and related expenses			$ 16,884		$ 7,255		$ 0		$ 0		$ 0		$ 0		$ 0		$ 0		$ 24,139	$ 0	$ 11,273
Other income (expense) [Abstract]
Loss on early extinguishment of debt		$ (17,309)	(723)		0		0		(1,307)		(9,274)		0		(17,309)		0		(2,030)	(26,583)	0
Income Tax Expense [Abstract]
Enactment of TCJA			0		0		0		0		0		13,496		12,000		0			25,496	234,855
Change in deferred taxes due to early extinguishment of debt			(289)		0		0		(1,312)		(20,914)		0		(33,963)		0		(1,601)	(54,877)
Effects of cash repatriation program			(11,554)		2,604		(48)		(585)		(3,037)		680		(9,006)		1,316		(9,583)	$ (10,047)	(5,802)
Effects of tax-basis foreign exchange gain			0		0		7,554		0		0		0		0		0
Effects of changes in uncertain tax positions			$ 2,831		$ 0		$ 0		$ 0		$ 0		$ 0		$ 0		$ 0		$ 2,831		$ 1,565
Quarterly end date	[2]		Dec. 31, 2019		Sep. 28, 2019		Jun. 29, 2019		Mar. 30, 2019		Dec. 31, 2018		Sep. 29, 2018		Jun. 30, 2018		Mar. 31, 2018
Number of weeks in an interim reporting period																			13

[1] May not add due to differences in weighted average share counts.

[2] (b) The Company reports interim financial information for 13-week periods beginning on a Sunday and ending on a Saturday, except for the first fiscal quarter, which always begins on January 1, and the fourth fiscal quarter, which always ends on December 31.