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Schedule II - Condensed Financial Information of Registrant (Parent Company Only) - Condensed Statement of Total Comprehensive Income (Parenthetical) (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012
Schedule of Condensed Consolidating Statement of Income and Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Unrealized gains on securities, deferred income taxes	$ 0
(Loss) gain on foreign currency translation, deferred income taxes	0
AMBAC FINANCIAL GROUP, INC PARENT COMPANY ONLY [Member]
Schedule of Condensed Consolidating Statement of Income and Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Unrealized gains on securities, deferred income taxes	0
(Loss) gain on foreign currency translation, deferred income taxes	$ 0

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Amount of tax effect, net of reclassification adjustments, on the result from the process of expressing in the reporting currency of the reporting entity those amounts that are denominated or measured in a different currency.

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