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Insurance Regulatory Restrictions - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Qualified statutory capital	$ 905,065	$ 628,302
Average rates of return on its admitted assets	9.80%	8.01%
Ambac Assurance [Member]
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Reported statutory policyholder surplus	840,262	100,000
Segregated Account [Member]
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Reported statutory policyholder surplus	442,639	(61,812)
Segregated Account's insurance liabilities		163,687
Prescribed or Permitted Additional Accounting Practices [Member] | Ambac Assurance [Member]
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Change in statutory surplus	227,334	81,846
Restricted stock and restricted stock units RSU [Member]
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Policyholders' surplus percentage	10.00%
Performance units [Member]
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Discounting loss reserves and estimated impairment losses on subsidiary guarantees	5.10%
Performance units [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Quarterly dividend percentage	15.00%
Performance units [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Cash dividends paid on common stock	$ 0	$ 0

X

- Definition

Average Annual Rate Of Return

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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X

- Definition

Insurance Liabilities Not Assumed

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Balance Type:	debit
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X

- Definition

Percentage Of Policy Holders Surplus

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Balance Type:	na
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X

- Definition

Discount rate percentage for the purpose of discounting statutory loss reserves and estimated impairment losses on subsidiary guarantees prescribed the regulator.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	ambc_
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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

No quarterly dividend may exceed the dividend paid in the corresponding quarter by more than this percentage without notification to the regulator.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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X

- Definition

Statutory Accounting Practices defined as policyholders' surplus plus contingency reserves.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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X

- Definition

Cash outflow in the form of capital distributions and dividends to common shareholders, preferred shareholders and noncontrolling interests.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Financing Activities

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6513228



Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 230

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 15

-Subparagraph (a)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=31042434&loc=d3e3291-108585

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X

- Definition

Amount as of the balance sheet date of each item listed to reconcile the differences resulting from applying state prescribed statutory accounting practices rather than statutory accounting practices prescribed by National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 505

-Section 50

-Paragraph 3

-Subparagraph (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6486098&loc=d3e24746-158529

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X

- Definition

The amount of statutory capital and surplus (stockholders' equity) as of the balance sheet date using prescribed or permitted statutory accounting practices (rather than GAAP, if different) of the state or country.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.23(c))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910



Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 505

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (a)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6486098&loc=d3e24708-158529



Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 24

-Subparagraph c

-Article 7

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