Can a B1 driver's license drive a manual transmission car?

The addition of an automatic driving license makes many people wonder if a B1 license allows them to drive a manual transmission car.

In the system of driving licenses in Vietnam, class B driving licenses include 2 types: B1 and B2. This type of license is for cars with less than 9 seats and a load capacity of less than 3.5 tons and is also the most popular type of car driving license today.

As cars equipped with automatic transmissions become more and more popular and widely used in our country, the need for additional driving licenses specifically for automatic transmission vehicles arises. Therefore, from January 1, 2016, automatic transmission driving licenses have been officially added and applied by the Ministry of Transport.

People with B11 driving license are not allowed to drive manual transmission cars...

However, the automatic driving license is classified as B1, which can easily be confused with the old B1 license - the type that still allows driving manual transmission vehicles. To distinguish between these two types of licenses, the Ministry of Transport has agreed to call the automatic driving license B11. Specifically as follows:

B11 license: Issued to non-professional drivers, allowed to drive the following types of vehicles: Automatic cars carrying up to 9 people; Specialized automatic trucks with a design load capacity of less than 3,500 kg.

B1 license: Issued to non-professional drivers, allowed to drive the following types of vehicles: Passenger cars with up to 9 seats; Trucks, including specialized trucks, with a design load of less than 3,500 kg.

B11 driver's license can only drive automatic cars.

Thus, a person with a B11 license is not allowed to drive a manual car. Meanwhile, a B1 license is allowed to drive a manual car. Both types of licenses do not allow one to work as a driver.

A person with a B11 driving license driving a manual transmission vehicle will be in violation of the "Having a driving license that is not suitable for the type of vehicle being driven" violation. According to point a, clause 7, article 21 of Decree 46/2016/ND-CP, this violation is subject to a fine of 4,000,000 VND to 6,000,000 VND.

According to Traffic Newspaper