A communication system includes a control device; a forwarding node that processes, in accordance with a processing rule set by control device, a packet transmitted from a user terminal; and a policy management device that manages communication policy and notifies the control device of communication policy that corresponds to a user for whom authentication has succeeded; a setting request transmission permitting unit that, based on notification from the policy management device, sets to a forwarding node that receives a packet from the user terminal a first processing rule causing the forwarding node to make a setting request of processing rule with regard to a packet transmitted from the user terminal; and a path control unit that determines path from user terminal to access destination and sets to forwarding node along the path the second processing rule that corresponds to the path.