Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Common Stock [Member] Common Stock [Member]	Common Stock [Member] Common Stock [Member] Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjustment [Member]	Common Stock [Member] Class B Convertible Common Stock [Member]	Common Stock [Member] Class B Convertible Common Stock [Member] Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjustment [Member]	Capital In Excess of Par Value [Member]	Capital In Excess of Par Value [Member] Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjustment [Member]	Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit) [Member]	Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit) [Member] Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjustment [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member] Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjustment [Member]	Total Vishay Stockholders' Equity [Member]	Total Vishay Stockholders' Equity [Member] Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjustment [Member]	Noncontrolling Interests [Member]	Noncontrolling Interests [Member] Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjustment [Member]	Total	Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjustment [Member]
Cumulative effect of accounting change for adoption of ASU | Accounting Standards Update 2016-02 [Member]		$ 0		$ 0		$ 0		$ 23,013		$ 0		$ 23,013		$ 0		$ 23,013
Balance at December 31, 2018 at Dec. 31, 2018	$ 13,212		$ 1,210		$ 1,436,011		$ (61,258)		$ (6,791)		$ 1,382,384		$ 2,286		$ 1,384,670
Net earnings	0		0		0		163,936		0		163,936		854		164,790
Other comprehensive income (loss)	0		0		0		0		(19,855)		(19,855)		0		(19,855)
Conversion of Class B shares	0		0		0		0		0		0		0		0
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	0		0		0		0		0		0		(600)		(600)
Temporary equity reclassification	0		0		35		0		0		35		0		35
Issuance of stock and related tax withholdings for vested restricted stock units	23		0		(2,731)		0		0		(2,708)		0		(2,708)
Dividends declared	0		0		67		(53,511)		0		(53,444)		0		(53,444)
Stock compensation expense	0		0		6,108		0		0		6,108		0		6,108
Issuance of convertible notes due 2025	0		0		0		0		0		0		0		0
Repurchase of convertible debt instruments	0		0		(14,320)		0		0		(14,320)		0		(14,320)
Balance at December 31, 2021 at Dec. 31, 2019	13,235		1,210		1,425,170		72,180		(26,646)		1,485,149		2,540		1,487,689
Cumulative effect of accounting change for adoption of ASU | Accounting Standards Update 2016-13 [Member]		0		0		0		(1,070)		0		(1,070)		0		(1,070)
Net earnings	0		0		0		122,923		0		122,923		860		123,783
Other comprehensive income (loss)	0		0		0		0		40,205		40,205		0		40,205
Conversion of Class B shares	0		0		0		0		0		0		0		0
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	0		0		0		0		0		0		(600)		(600)
Temporary equity reclassification	0		0		4		0		0		4		0		4
Issuance of stock and related tax withholdings for vested restricted stock units	21		0		(2,037)		0		0		(2,016)		0		(2,016)
Dividends declared	0		0		74		(55,043)		0		(54,969)		0		(54,969)
Stock compensation expense	0		0		5,276		0		0		5,276		0		5,276
Repurchase of convertible debt instruments	0		0		(19,287)		0		0		(19,287)		0		(19,287)
Balance at December 31, 2021 at Dec. 31, 2020	13,256		1,210		1,409,200		138,990		13,559		1,576,215		2,800		1,579,015
Cumulative effect of accounting change for adoption of ASU															138,990
Cumulative effect of accounting change for adoption of ASU | Accounting Standards Update 2020-06 [Member]		$ 0		$ 0		$ (66,078)		$ 20,566		$ 0		$ (45,512)		$ 0		$ (45,512)
Net earnings	0		0		0		297,970		0		297,970		967		298,937
Other comprehensive income (loss)	0		0		0		0		(33,811)		(33,811)		0		(33,811)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	0		0		0		0		0		0		(800)		(800)
Issuance of stock and related tax withholdings for vested restricted stock units	15		0		(1,978)		0		0		(1,963)		0		(1,963)
Dividends declared	0		0		81		(55,832)		0		(55,751)		0		(55,751)
Stock compensation expense	0		0		6,605		0		0		6,605		0		6,605
Balance at December 31, 2021 at Dec. 31, 2021	$ 13,271		$ 1,210		$ 1,347,830		$ 401,694		$ (20,252)		$ 1,743,753		$ 2,967		1,746,720
Cumulative effect of accounting change for adoption of ASU															401,694
Cumulative effect of accounting change for adoption of ASU | Accounting Standards Update 2020-06 [Member]															$ 20,566