SCHEDULE II - Condensed Balance Sheets - Parent Company Only (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Dec. 31, 2008 [SeniorNotesDebtMember] [NotesIssuedByPartnerReFinanceALlcMember]	Dec. 31, 2010 [SeniorNotesDebtMember] [NotesIssuedByPartnerReFinanceBLlcMember]	Dec. 31, 2012 [ParentCompanyMember]		Dec. 31, 2011 [ParentCompanyMember]		Dec. 31, 2010 [ParentCompanyMember]		Dec. 31, 2009 [ParentCompanyMember]	Dec. 31, 2012 [ParentCompanyMember] [SeniorNotesDebtMember] [NotesIssuedByPartnerReFinanceALlcMember] [FinancialGuaranteeMember]	Dec. 31, 2012 [ParentCompanyMember] [SeniorNotesDebtMember] [NotesIssuedByPartnerReFinanceBLlcMember] [FinancialGuaranteeMember]	Dec. 31, 2012 [ParentCompanyMember] [JuniorSubordinatedDebtMember] [NotesIssuedByPartnerReFinanceIiIncMember] [FinancialGuaranteeMember]
Assets
Fixed maturities, trading securities, at fair value (amortized cost: 2012, $Nil; 2011, $178,674)	$ 14,395,315,000	$ 13,941,829,000					$ 0		$ 181,117,000
Short-term investments, trading securities, at fair value (amortized cost: 2012, $Nil; 2011, $8,463)	150,552,000	42,571,000					0		8,467,000
Cash and cash equivalents	1,121,705,000	1,342,257,000	2,111,084,000	738,309,000			30,372,000	[1]	51,729,000	[1]	329,054,000	[1],[2]	3,503,000
Investment in subsidiaries							8,533,423,000		7,693,969,000
Intercompany loans and balances receivable							361,408,000		350,265,000
Other	103,528,000	70,044,000					4,283,000		10,066,000
Total assets	22,980,432,000	22,855,373,000					8,929,486,000		8,295,613,000
Liabilities Abstract
Intercompany loans and balances payable							1,952,737,000	[3]	1,815,049,000	[3]
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other	290,265,000	208,840,000					43,253,000		13,022,000
Total liabilities	16,046,936,000	16,387,831,000					1,995,990,000		1,828,071,000
Shareholders' Equity
Common shares (par value $1.00; issued: 2012, 85,459,905 shares; 2011, 84,766,693 shares)	85,460,000	84,767,000					85,460,000		84,767,000
Preferred shares (par value $1.00; issued and outstanding: 2012 and 2011, 35,750,000 shares; aggregate liquidation value: 2012 and 2011, $893,750)	35,750,000	35,750,000					35,750,000		35,750,000
Additional paid-in capital	3,861,844,000	3,803,796,000					3,861,844,000		3,803,796,000
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Loss Net Of Tax	10,597,000	(12,644,000)					10,597,000		(12,644,000)
Retained earnings	4,952,002,000	4,035,103,000					4,952,002,000		4,035,103,000
Common shares held in treasury, at cost (2012, 26,550,530 shares; 2011, 19,444,365 shares)	(2,012,157,000)	(1,479,230,000)					(2,012,157,000)		(1,479,230,000)
Total shareholders' equity	6,933,496,000	6,467,542,000	7,206,919,000				6,933,496,000		6,467,542,000
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	22,980,432,000	22,855,373,000					8,929,486,000		8,295,613,000
Condensed Financial Statements Parentheticals [Abstract]
Fixed maturities, trading securities, amortized cost	13,653,615,000	13,394,404,000					0		178,674,000
Short Term Investments Trading Securities Amortized Cost	150,634,000	42,563,000					0		8,463,000
Common shares, par value	$ 1	$ 1					$ 1.00		$ 1.00
Common shares, shares issued	85,459,905	84,766,693					84,459,905		84,766,693
Preferred shares, par value	$ 1	$ 1					$ 1.00		$ 1.00
Preferred shares, shares issued	35,750,000	35,750,000					35,750,000		35,750,000
Preferred shares, shares outstanding	35,750,000	35,750,000					35,750,000		35,750,000
Aggregate liquidation value	893,750,000	893,750,000					893,750,000		893,750,000
Common shares held in treasury, shares	26,550,530	19,444,365					26,550,530		19,444,365
Parent Company Guarantee Disclosures [Abstract]
Guarantor Obligations, Current Carrying Value														$ 250,000,000	$ 500,000,000	$ 63,400,000
Interest rate on obligations guaranteed by the Parent Company					6.875%	5.50%								6.875%	5.50%	6.44%

[1] The Company received non-cash dividends from its subsidiaries of $200 million, $274 million and $500 million for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively, which have been excluded from the Condensed Statements of Cash Flows—Parent Company Only.

[2] During 2010, the Company sold a wholly-owned subsidiary to another wholly-owned subsidiary and received fixed maturities and short-term investments as partial settlement of certain intercompany loans receivable. These non-cash transactions have been excluded from the Condensed Statements of Cash Flows—Parent Company Only.

[3] The Company has fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a subordinated basis all obligations of PartnerRe Finance II Inc., an indirect 100% owned finance subsidiary of the Company, related to the remaining $63.4 million aggregate principal amount of 6.440% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Junior Subordinated Capital Efficient Notes (CENts). The Company’s obligations under this guarantee are unsecured and rank junior in priority of payments to the Company’s Senior Notes. The Company has fully and unconditionally guaranteed all obligations of PartnerRe Finance A and PartnerRe Finance B, indirect 100% owned finance subsidiaries of the Company, related to the issuance of $250 million aggregate principal amount of 6.875% Senior Notes and $500 million aggregate principal amount of 5.500% Senior Notes. The Company’s obligations under these guarantees are senior and unsecured and rank equally with all other senior unsecured indebtedness of the Company.