Apple Pay will reportedly arrive in France by the end of the year, though it may roll out slowly following an initial trial period. Apple is said to have been in negotiations with French banks for months, with the percentage of the transaction fee taken by Apple being the primary issue. Despite this issue, however, it seems that Apple Pay could be on track for a wide rollout by September.
From LesEchos (translated from French), via 9to5Mac:
Visa has also tested in 2015 with four French institutions a mobile payment solution based on technology "host card emulation" (HCE) - it uses an online storage system (cloud) - which already allows them to connect to the interface of the international network linking up with Apple Pay. To get started quickly, some actors may therefore choose to pass by Visa. Apple is nevertheless imposing a pilot period of three to five months, and Apple Pay should not be launched widespread in France before September.
France would just be another of the major countries that Apple is targeting for an Apple Pay rollout in 2016. The company has already expanded the system into China, and will reportedly bring it to countries like Spain, Hong Kong, and Singapore before the end of the year.