Are all international drivers classed as provisional licence holders?

ireland.man

I've a provisional licence at the moment but have a friend coming over to visit in December from outside the EU. I've checked it up and apparently I can put them down on my car with temporary insurance but they will be classed as provisional licence holders despite them holding a full international driver's licence. This means we'd need a third driver with a full licence with us at all times!

Is this standard across all insurance companies? I've called two so far and they both said that was there policy.

CiniO

That can't be right.
There is no law expecting a foreign licence holder to be accompanied by full licence holder.

ireland.man

CiniO wrote: »

That can't be right.
There is no law expecting a foreign licence holder to be accompanied by full licence holder.

I was told that by FBD and Axa Insurance- foreign licence holders are classed by them at least as provisional licence holders. I was confused by it too- doesn't make a lot of sense and it's a massive inconvenience for us- we may end up having to fork out many hundreds of euros on a rented car while mine sits in the garden...

BuffyBot

CiniO wrote: »

That can't be right.
There is no law expecting a foreign licence holder to be accompanied by full licence holder.

I don't think the law comes into it here. In the OP's scenario, this is what the insurance companies require themselves in order to have that person covered in a vehicle.

corktina

BuffyBot wrote: »

I don't think the law comes into it here. In the OP's scenario, this is what the insurance companies require themselves in order to have that person covered in a vehicle.

I'm sure you are right here. Possibly this would not apply with an EU license holder.

H3llR4iser

Screw them and go with a different company OP. It's the very same when you are subscribing an insurance policy while holding an EU license - same conditions and premium as somebody that has a "provisional" license.

Try AA or Liberty, they don't seem to have this absurd policy, at least when it comes to the policy holder - no idea how they deal with the "additional driver" thing.

Not sure if the EU Committee or the Ombudsman would be interested in this. They should be, though.

djimi

Did they specifically stipulate that the driver must be accompanied by another fully licensed driver? Or is it just in terms of pricing that they consider them to be the equivilant of a learner?

Sheldons Brain

Such a person moving to Ireland might be required to do a test and so would in the position of a provisional licence holder, not so for visitors. Insurance companies can put whatever requirements they wish, but one issue is that the visitor is not able to accompany you, which perhaps is causing confusion.

corktina

I can see the Ins Co point of view here. They would be covering an unknown person from outside the country who may well lumber them with a claim and disappear back abroad. They need to price the cover taking this into account

ireland.man

djimi wrote: »

Did they specifically stipulate that the driver must be accompanied by another fully licensed driver? Or is it just in terms of pricing that they consider them to be the equivilant of a learner?

It's not just the cost of the insurance, if they go onto my car they would have to be accompanied by a fully licenced driver. It's not that they would not be a fully licenced driver for my sake, but for their own.

Liberty insurance appears to have the same problem when insuring visitors from outside the EU too...

corktina

did they say that?

dr.fuzzenstein

corktina wrote: »

I can see the Ins Co point of view here. They would be covering an unknown person from outside the country who may well lumber them with a claim and disappear back abroad. They need to price the cover taking this into account

(nothing directed at you, just my rant):
Maybe also introduce a policy that requires a guy with a red flag to run ahead of the car.
Pure begosh and begorrah typical small minded Oirish insurance crap.
If your name is fake irish and you drive a Feshty or a Micra, they love you. Anything other is regarded as psycho killer.
Same small-minded rubbish you get from the banks here.

Pedro K

Classified as provisionally licensed for rating purposes only. If the Gardai don't expect international licence holders to be accompanied at all times then the insurance company are in no position to demand it.

Try some brokers too.

corktina

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

(nothing directed at you, just my rant):
Maybe also introduce a policy that requires a guy with a red flag to run ahead of the car.
Pure begosh and begorrah typical small minded Oirish insurance crap.
If your name is fake irish and you drive a Feshty or a Micra, they love you. Anything other is regarded as psycho killer.
Same small-minded rubbish you get from the banks here.

no it's called "Underwriting"

djimi

ireland.man wrote: »

It's not just the cost of the insurance, if they go onto my car they would have to be accompanied by a fully licenced driver. It's not that they would not be a fully licenced driver for my sake, but for their own.

Liberty insurance appears to have the same problem when insuring visitors from outside the EU too...

Have they actually specifically stated this? Because this law applies only to those who hold an Irish learners permit. I dont think insurance companies have the power to decide which documents constitute a learners permit; at best they could decide not to recognize the license of said country at all, but they dont have the right to decide that it should behave like a learners permit.

ireland.man

djimi wrote: »

Have they actually specifically stated this? Because this law applies only to those who hold an Irish learners permit. I dont think insurance companies have the power to decide which documents constitute a learners permit; at best they could decide not to recognize the license of said country at all, but they dont have the right to decide that it should behave like a learners permit.

Two different companies told me this evening- I don't think I'm allowed to name them here- that if he comes he can be put onto my insurance for three weeks or a month, but that he will be classed as a provisional licence holder and therefore will need, like I do, a fully licenced driver with him.

I was disappointed but I didn't think to question what they told me. After reading some of these replies I might call those two companies back and ask them to explain in detail their policy as it relates to international drivers using a provisional licence holder's car.

BuffyBot

djimi wrote: »

Have they actually specifically stated this? Because this law applies only to those who hold an Irish learners permit. I dont think insurance companies have the power to decide which documents constitute a learners permit; at best they could decide not to recognize the license of said country at all, but they dont have the right to decide that it should behave like a learners permit.

Of course they have the right: they can decide it's the equivelant of a cheese single if they so decide. They're providing the cover, so they can choose how they view it.