S000003879 [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 Emerging Markets Equity Fund | Class IA Shares | ||||||||||
| Prospectus [Line Items] | ||||||||||
| Annual Return [Percent] | 34.49% | 16.10% | 11.63% | (27.24%) | (3.98%) | 28.25% | 25.21% | (18.40%) | 35.37% | (6.46%) |