S000003876 [Member] Annual Total Returns |
12 Months Ended | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dec. 31, 2025 |
Dec. 31, 2024 |
Dec. 31, 2023 |
Dec. 31, 2022 |
Dec. 31, 2021 |
Dec. 31, 2020 |
Dec. 31, 2019 |
Dec. 31, 2018 |
Dec. 31, 2017 |
Dec. 31, 2016 |
|
| Putnam VT Income Fund | Class IA Shares | ||||||||||
| Prospectus [Line Items] | ||||||||||
| Annual Return [Percent] | 7.45% | 2.56% | 4.96% | (13.48%) | (4.44%) | 6.00% | 12.24% | 0.37% | 5.90% | 2.27% |