non-EU young driver

I've read through some of the previous threads on getting insurance on a non-EU driving licence and from what I can see it is possible. Particularly with Middlesea I have gotten to the point of being at the payments screen when quoting online from middlesea.com, with only entering my Maltese ID card number, they do not ask for a licence and only state in the policy that you must hold the correct licence and entitlement to drive the vehicle you are insuring, otherwise the policy is null and void. To me that means my Canadian licence is fine as per Transport Malta I can drive on it for 12 months from my last date of entry into Malta. All other insurance companies have either told me I can't get insurance without being under my parents policy (i'm 19 turning 20, my parents don't live in Malta and have no desire to, and dont have a car there.) until I turn 25 (wtf, Atlas), or just flat out no until I get my Maltese licence.

Background - i'm a dual citizen (Malta+Canada) and I want to come down to Malta and do a 6 month internship as part of my college program. I'm going to need a car if i'm going to do this at all as every other method of transport is just so unreliable in Malta, plus my family is all in Gozo so I will want to get there easily.


So - has anyone successfully got insurance on a non-EU licence, particularly with Middlesea and buying online? I know lots of people have had success walking in to a branch and buying insurance, but I can't risk arranging an internship, getting all the way to Malta and not being able to get car insurance. All i'm really looking at is a cheap, used Yaris or something like that and putting it on 3rd party, fire and theft.

Thanks for any help
Cheers