How would someone like that get a quote from the insurance companies though? because they will assume that a person who has an automatic only licence can only drive automatics. For the most part, a computer will not be able to distinguish between someone who has just entered the country and exchanged for a local licence, and someone who has been living in Britain his entire life but just passed a practical test in an automatic car. Therefore it will not recognise the driver is allowed to drive a manual for a year. If the driver puts down he is a provisional driver, then this isn't entirely true because he holds a full automatic only licence. Either way, from what I hear from the review websites, it sounds like the insurance company can just cancel the drivers policy because he doesn't hold an actual provisional licence, and holds an automatic only licence, and the insurance company can assume he can only drive automatics, completely dismissing the fact that he is new to the country and allowed to drive in manual for one year.

COPE3:

You are ok as far as Insurance is concerned, if you are complying with the DVLA rules. If you were driving against the DVLA rules and your licence was therefore not valid, your Insurance would also not be valid.

What DVLA are saying is that under your foreign licence entitlement you can drive both auto and manuals for 1 year only from the date you came to the UK. But under your British licence you are restricted to auto only. You would need to take a driving test in a manual and upgrade your licence.

Huckster

I have exchanged my foreign licence for a full British automatic only licence. I was told that I can drive manuals for 1yr from the time I entered the country. Do you guys know how this would work for insurance purposes? Because on my licence it says automatic only but the DVLA told me I can drive for 1yr on manuals.