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The current carrying amount of the liability for the freestanding or embedded guarantor's obligations under the guarantee or each group of similar guarantees.

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SCHEDULE II - CONDENSED FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF PARENT COMPANY - BALANCE SHEETS, Footnotes (Details) - USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 06, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Nov. 07, 2016
Senior Notes \| 2010 AXIS Specialty Finance LLC Senior Notes
Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company [Line Items]
Interest rate	5.875%
Senior Notes \| Senior Notes Due 2019 Axis Specialty Finance PLC 2014
Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company [Line Items]
Interest rate	2.65%
Senior Notes \| Senior Notes Due 2045 Axis Specialty Finance PLC 2014
Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company [Line Items]
Interest rate	5.15%
Senior Notes \| Senior Notes Axis Specialty Finance PLC 2017
Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company [Line Items]
Interest rate		4.00%
AXIS Capital Holdings Limited
Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company [Line Items]
Promissory note receivable from subsidiary	$ 0		$ 368,252,000
AXIS Capital Holdings Limited \| Weather-related contracts \| Full and Unconditional Guarantee of Debt
Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company [Line Items]
Guarantor obligations, current carrying value	0		64,000,000
AXIS Capital Holdings Limited \| Senior Notes \| 2010 AXIS Specialty Finance LLC Senior Notes \| Full and Unconditional Guarantee of Debt
Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company [Line Items]
Principal amount guaranteed	$ 500,000,000
Interest rate	5.875%
AXIS Capital Holdings Limited \| Senior Notes \| Senior Notes Due 2019 Axis Specialty Finance PLC 2014 \| Full and Unconditional Guarantee of Debt
Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company [Line Items]
Principal amount guaranteed	$ 250,000,000
Interest rate	2.65%
AXIS Capital Holdings Limited \| Senior Notes \| Senior Notes Due 2045 Axis Specialty Finance PLC 2014 \| Full and Unconditional Guarantee of Debt
Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company [Line Items]
Principal amount guaranteed	$ 250,000,000
Interest rate	5.15%
AXIS Capital Holdings Limited \| Senior Notes \| Senior Notes Axis Specialty Finance PLC 2017 \| Full and Unconditional Guarantee of Debt
Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company [Line Items]
Principal amount guaranteed	$ 350,000,000
Interest rate	4.00%
AXIS Capital Holdings Limited \| Revolving Credit Facility \| Syndication Of Lenders \| Full and Unconditional Guarantee of Debt
Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company [Line Items]
Guarantor obligations, current carrying value			$ 0
Subsidiaries [Member] \| Weather-related contracts \| Full and Unconditional Guarantee of Debt
Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company [Line Items]
Percentage ownership in subsidiary	100.00%
AXIS Specialty Finance LLC
Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company [Line Items]
Percentage ownership in subsidiary	100.00%
AXIS Specialty Finance LLC \| Senior Notes \| Full and Unconditional Guarantee of Debt
Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company [Line Items]
Percentage ownership in subsidiary	100.00%
AXIS Specialty Finance PLC
Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company [Line Items]
Percentage ownership in subsidiary	100.00%
AXIS Specialty Finance PLC \| Senior Notes \| Full and Unconditional Guarantee of Debt
Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company [Line Items]
Percentage ownership in subsidiary	100.00%
Promissory Note \| AXIS Capital Holdings Limited
Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company [Line Items]
Interest rate	1.132%
Promissory note receivable from subsidiary				$ 368,000,000