According to one embodiment, a motion vector detection apparatus includes following units. The layering unit generates layers with different resolutions for each of first and second images. The first extraction unit extracts a space candidate vector. The second extraction unit extracts a time candidate vector. The third extraction unit extracts a layer candidate vector. The determination unit determines a motion vector to be assigned to the target block, based on correlations between the target block and blocks, the blocks being located in a layer which corresponds to the second image and being specified by assigning, to the target block, the space, time, and layer candidate vectors.