INTERIM FINANCIAL DATA	6 Months Ended
INTERIM FINANCIAL DATA	Jun. 30, 2014
INTERIM FINANCIAL DATA [Abstract]
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure and Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]	INTERIM FINANCIAL DATA The unaudited condensed interim financial statements of Ship Finance International Limited (“Ship Finance” or the “Company”) have been prepared on the same basis as the Company’s audited financial statements and, in the opinion of management, include all material adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments considered necessary in order to make the interim financial statements not misleading, in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“US GAAP”). The accompanying condensed interim unaudited financial statements should be read in conjunction with the annual financial statements and notes included in the Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2013. The results of operations for the interim period ended June 30, 2014 are not necessarily indicative of the results for the entire year ending December 31, 2014. Basis of accounting The condensed consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with US GAAP. The condensed consolidated financial statements include the assets and liabilities and results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries including variable interest entities in which the Ship Finance is deemed to be the primary beneficiary. All inter-company balances and transactions have been eliminated on consolidation. The condensed consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with the accounting policies described in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2013. New Accounting Pronouncements Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-09-Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the International Accounting Standard Board (IASB) initiated a joint project to clarify the principles for recognizing revenue and to develop a common revenue standard for U.S. GAAP and IFRS. To meet those objectives, the FASB is amending the FASB Accounting Standards Codification and creating a new Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, and the IASB is issuing IFRS 15, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The issuance of these documents completes the joint effort by the FASB and the IASB to meet those objectives and improve financial reporting by creating common revenue recognition guidance for US GAAP and IFRS. The amendments in this Update are effective for the Company for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within that reporting period. Early application is not permitted. The Company is currently considering the impact of these amendments on its consolidated financial statements.

The entire disclosure for the organization, consolidation and basis of presentation of financial statements disclosure, and significant accounting policies of the reporting entity. May be provided in more than one note to the financial statements, as long as users are provided with an understanding of (1) the significant judgments and assumptions made by an enterprise in determining whether it must consolidate a VIE and/or disclose information about its involvement with a VIE, (2) the nature of restrictions on a consolidated VIE's assets reported by an enterprise in its statement of financial position, including the carrying amounts of such assets, (3) the nature of, and changes in, the risks associated with an enterprise's involvement with the VIE, and (4) how an enterprise's involvement with the VIE affects the enterprise's financial position, financial performance, and cash flows. Describes procedure if disclosures are provided in more than one note to the financial statements.

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