Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	Ivy Funds Variable Insurance Portfolios
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Apr. 30, 2012
Ivy Funds VIP Small Cap Growth
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk/Return [Heading]	rr_RiskReturnHeading	Ivy Funds VIP Small Cap Growth
Objective [Heading]	rr_ObjectiveHeading	Objective
Objective, Primary [Text Block]	rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock	To seek to provide growth of capital.
Expense [Heading]	rr_ExpenseHeading	Fees and Expenses
Expense Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock	This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Portfolio. The table below does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under the variable life insurance policies and variable annuity contracts (collectively, Policies) through which this Portfolio is offered. See the Policy prospectus for a description of those fees and expenses.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]	rr_ShareholderFeesCaption	Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text]	rr_OperatingExpensesCaption	Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a % of the value of your investment)
Portfolio Turnover [Heading]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading	Portfolio Turnover
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock	The Portfolio pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual portfolio operating expenses or in the example, affect the Portfolio’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolio’s portfolio turnover rate was 80% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate	rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate	80.00%
Expense Example [Heading]	rr_ExpenseExampleHeading	Example
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock	This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the shares of the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other portfolios. This example does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under the Policies. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the shares of the Portfolio for the time periods indicated. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses remain the same. The costs are the same for each time period if you continue to hold your shares or if you redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
Strategy [Heading]	rr_StrategyHeading	Principal Investment Strategies
Strategy Narrative [Text Block]	rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock	Ivy Funds VIP Small Cap Growth seeks to achieve its objective by investing, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets in common stocks of small cap companies. Small cap companies typically are companies with market capitalizations below $3.5 billion. The Portfolio emphasizes relatively new or unseasoned companies in their early stages of development, or smaller companies positioned in new or emerging industries where there is opportunity for rapid growth. The Portfolio’s investment in equity securities may include common stocks that are offered in initial public offerings (IPOs). In selecting securities for the Portfolio, Waddell & Reed Investment Management Company (WRIMCO), the Portfolio’s investment manager, utilizes a bottom-up stock picking process that focuses on companies it believes have sustainable long-term growth potential with superior financial characteristics and, therefore, are believed by WRIMCO to be of a higher quality than many other small cap companies. WRIMCO may look at a number of factors regarding a company, such as: management that is aggressive and/or creative, yet strong and/or dedicated; technological or specialized expertise; new or unique products or services; entry into new or emerging industries; growth in earnings/growth in revenue and sales/positive cash flows; rising returns on investment; and security size and liquidity. The Portfolio typically holds a small number (generally 50 to 60) of stocks. Generally, in determining whether to sell a security, WRIMCO uses the same type of analysis that it uses in buying securities. For example, WRIMCO may sell a security if it determines that the stock no longer offers significant growth potential, which may be due to a change in the business or management of the company or a change in the industry of the company. WRIMCO also may sell a security to reduce the Portfolio’s holding in that security, to take advantage of more attractive investment opportunities or to raise cash.
Risk [Heading]	rr_RiskHeading	Principal Investment Risks
Risk Narrative [Text Block]	rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock	As with any mutual fund, the value of the Portfolio’s shares will change, and you could lose money on your investment. A variety of factors can affect the investment performance of the Portfolio and prevent it from achieving its objective. These include: Company Risk. A company may perform worse than the overall market due to specific factors, such as adverse changes to its business or investor perceptions about the company. Growth Stock Risk. Prices of growth stocks may be more sensitive to changes in current or expected earnings than the prices of other stocks. Growth stocks may not perform as well as value stocks or the stock market in general. Holdings Risk. The Portfolio tends to be invested in a small number (generally 50 to 60) of stocks. As a result, the appreciation or depreciation of any one security held by the Portfolio will have a greater impact on the Portfolio’s net asset value (NAV) than it would if the Portfolio invested in a larger number of securities. Initial Public Offering Risk. Investments in IPOs can have a significant positive impact on the Portfolio’s performance; however, any positive effect of investments in IPOs may not be sustainable because of a number of factors. The Portfolio may not be able to buy shares in some IPOs, or may be able to buy only a small number of shares. Also, the Portfolio may not be able to buy the shares at the commencement of the offering, and the general availability and performance of IPOs are dependent on market psychology and economic conditions. Liquidity Risk. Generally, a security is liquid if the Portfolio is able to sell the security at a fair price within a reasonable time. Liquidity is generally related to the market trading volume for a particular security. Management Risk. Portfolio performance is primarily dependent on WRIMCO’s skill in evaluating and managing the Portfolio’s holdings and the Portfolio may not perform as well as other similar mutual funds. Market Risk. Adverse market conditions, sometimes in response to general economic or industry news, may cause the prices of the Portfolio’s holdings to fall as part of a broad market decline. The financial crisis in the U.S. and foreign economies over the past several years, including the European sovereign debt crisis, has resulted, and may continue to result, in an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both U.S. and foreign, and in the net asset values (NAVs) of many mutual funds, including to some extent the Portfolio. Global economies and financial markets are becoming increasingly interconnected, which increases the possibilities that conditions in one country or region may adversely affect issuers in another country or region, which may adversely affect securities held by the Portfolio. These circumstances have also decreased liquidity in some markets and may continue to do so. In addition, certain unanticipated events, such as natural disasters, terrorist attacks, war, and other geopolitical events, can have a dramatic adverse effect on securities held by the Portfolio. Small Company Risk. Equity securities of small capitalization companies are subject to greater price volatility, lower trading volume and less liquidity due to, among other things, such companies’ small size, limited product lines, limited access to financing sources and limited management depth. In addition, the frequency and volume of trading of such securities may be less than is typical of larger companies, making them subject to wider price fluctuations. In some cases, there could be difficulties in selling securities of small capitalization companies at the desired time.
Risk Lose Money [Text]	rr_RiskLoseMoney	As with any mutual fund, the value of the Portfolio’s shares will change, and you could lose money on your investment.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]	rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading	Performance
Performance Narrative [Text Block]	rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock	The chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio. The chart shows how performance has varied from year to year for the Portfolio. The table shows the average annual total returns for the Portfolio and also compares the performance with those of an index and a Lipper peer group (a universe of mutual funds with investment objectives similar to that of the Portfolio). The performance results do not reflect any Policy-related fees and expenses, which would reduce the performance results. Performance results include the effect of expense reduction arrangements for some or all of the periods shown. If those arrangements had not been in place, the performance results for those periods would have been lower. The Portfolio’s past performance does not necessarily indicate how it will perform in the future. Current performance may be lower or higher. Please call 888.WADDELL for the Portfolio’s updated performance.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]	rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns	The chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio. The chart shows how performance has varied from year to year for the Portfolio. The table shows the average annual total returns for the Portfolio and also compares the performance with those of an index and a Lipper peer group (a universe of mutual funds with investment objectives similar to that of the Portfolio).
Performance Availability Phone [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone	888.WADDELL
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]	rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture	The Portfolio’s past performance does not necessarily indicate how it will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading]	rr_BarChartHeading	Chart of Year-by-Year Returns as of December 31 each year
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]	rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock	In the period shown in the chart, the highest quarterly return was 24.14% (the second quarter of 2009) and the lowest quarterly return was -28.33% (the third quarter of 2011).
Performance Table Heading	rr_PerformanceTableHeading	Average Annual Total Returns as of December 31, 2011
Ivy Funds VIP Small Cap Growth | Ivy Funds VIP Small Cap Growth
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)	rr_MaximumAccountFee
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.85%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	0.25%
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.06%
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.16%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	118
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	368
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	638
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	1,409
2002	rr_AnnualReturn2002	(21.79%)
2003	rr_AnnualReturn2003	35.77%
2004	rr_AnnualReturn2004	14.29%
2005	rr_AnnualReturn2005	12.88%
2006	rr_AnnualReturn2006	5.05%
2007	rr_AnnualReturn2007	13.52%
2008	rr_AnnualReturn2008	(39.18%)
2009	rr_AnnualReturn2009	34.72%
2010	rr_AnnualReturn2010	28.85%
2011	rr_AnnualReturn2011	(10.60%)
Highest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel	highest quarterly return
Highest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate	Jun. 30, 2009
Highest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn	24.14%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel	lowest quarterly return
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate	Sep. 30, 2011
Lowest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn	(28.33%)
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	(10.60%)
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	1.39%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	4.43%
Russell 2000 Growth Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | Ivy Funds VIP Small Cap Growth
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	(2.91%)
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	2.09%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	4.48%
Lipper Variable Annuity Small-Cap Growth Funds Universe Average (net of fees and expenses) | Ivy Funds VIP Small Cap Growth
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	(2.82%)
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	1.82%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	3.88%